Shameles BBC ‘considers blocking viewers from iPlayer if they refuse to cough up for licence fee’ amid TV ad fury

THE BBC is considering locking down iPlayer for people who decline to pay for a licence, according to reports. As the number of people opting to pay the annual fee falls, the Beeb’s chief customer officer reportedly said closing off iPlayer could be an “opportunity” in the future. The corporation may lock iPlayer down for users not paying a licence fee Credit: AFP Director General Matt Brittin told Beeb staff in an email in June that the savings would see shows cancelled and jobs cut Credit: Getty Kerris Bright told colleagues in an all-staff call on Monday that she will keep the idea of blocking iPlayer under review, Deadline reports. Bright reportedly said: “As we go into the future, more of an IPTV world, audiences changing behavior, new ways of creating experiences that maybe aren’t so full of friction for audiences … that might absolutely be an opportunity for us, depending on the funding model.” Sign up for the TV newsletter Thank you! The BBC‘s own annual report indicates half a million people ditched the licence fee in the past year – marking the biggest drop in numbers since the Covid pandemic. According to the report the fee, which totals £180 per home, “remains insufficient to sustain a universal public service.” The number of people paying for a licence fee fell by a total of 539,000 Credit: Alamy Amid plummeting licence fee figures the BBC released a shameless new advert in a desperate bid to drive viewers to get a TV licence Credit: BBC Bright continued: “The data says today [that] absolutely [it] is not the silver bullet to generating more revenue. “There’s probably more cost in it than revenue, but it is something we should absolutely keep looking at because it might be something that you actually would want to do in the future.” It comes after the corporation released a toe-curling ad in an attempt to persuade more customers to purchase a licence fee amid plummeting numbers of paying customers. The shameless four minute clip is presented by Romesh Ranganathan, who attempts to flog the broadcaster’s biggest shows including The Traitors and EastEnders. Most read in TV Bizarrely the ad makes a big deal out of Doctor Who despite it being shelved for three years over woke backlash. An estimated 94 per cent of the British population uses the BBC every month but less than 80 per cent pay for a TV licence. iPlayer requires people to sign in to watch but does not require proof that users have a licence fee – something that Bright says could change as technology improves. The BBC is reportedly in talks with the government about a new charter – which would likely lead to a new funding model. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is understood to be considering implementing the licence fee for users who watch Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime. As it stands, you do not need to pay the £180 yearly fee to watch shows on the subscription-based streaming services. Speaking in parliament at a cross party select committee Nandy said the government was committed to to “retaining the licence fee but reforming it”. She also proposed a staggered approach, where households may have to pay a small additional amount if you had a streaming service rather than the full licence fee. The Culture Secretary did rule out showing adverts on BBC channels to generate extra income however. Meanwhile, it was announced earlier this year that the Beeb’s new director general had detailed plans to slash spending by £80million over the next two years. Former Google exec Matt Brittin, 57, told Beeb staff in an email in June that the savings would see shows cancelled and jobs axed. The director general provided no specifics but warned that details of the cuts would be announced in the coming days. It is understood the cuts will contribute to some of the 2,000 job losses expected to come over the next three years. Around 550 positions will be cut in the BBC’s news and nations divisions, and 700 roles will close in the BBC’s corporate divisions, the director general said. Cuts in the news and nations divisions are expected to generate roughly £160m in savings. While cuts to the corporate divisions will also see the Beeb save some cash, though the exact figure remains undisclosed. Staff were told that though “compulsory redundancies” were inevitable the corporation would work hard to avoid cutting jobs where possible. The Sun has contacted the BBC for comment.