Watching iPlayer without a TV licence: The new rules

From tomorrow, you could be fined up to £1,000 for watching iPlayer without a TV licence.

Up to now, UK-based viewers could watch BBC programmes via the internet without paying the £145.50 fee as long as they did not watch them live. The loophole has been a blessing for the cash-strapped or the downright sneaky but has cost the BBC an estimated £150m per year in lost revenues.

However, a clampdown means that from 1 September, TV lovers will need a valid licence regardless of whether they're watching via smartphone, tablet computer or on catch-up.

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Get caught without one and you could be punished with a fine of up to £1,000 - plus legal costs.

Here's what you need to know in order to keep watching your favourite shows legally.

What devices and providers does it apply to?

The new rules apply to watching BBC programmes on any device and provider you use, including TV sets (including smart TVs), laptops and desktop computers, tablets, mobile phones and other portable devices, digital boxes or PVRs (such as Sky, Virgin Media or BT Vision), as well as games consoles. The regulations also apply to media-streaming devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku and Now TV, along with Freeview, Freesat or YouView.

Does it apply for other on-demand services?

No, despite the change in the rules, you will still be able to watch other catch-up services such as 4oD, ITV Player and Demand 5 without a TV licence.

BBC radio content and programmes shown on Welsh-language channel S4C are not affected by the changes, so even viewers without a TV licence can continue to watch and download them using iPlayer.

What if you already have a licence?

If you or anyone living at your address already has a licence, you are covered to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer. Licence-holders are also already covered to watch or record live TV on any channel so don't need to buy a second licence or pay anything extra.

Similarly, if you already have a free over-75s TV licence or a blind concessionary licence, you and anyone living at your address are covered.

What if you don't?

You will need to purchase a licence even if you access iPlayer through another provider, such as Freeview, Freesat or YouView, Sky, Virgin Media or BT Vision or Apple TV. Licences can be purchased online here. You also need a licence if you watch or record any live TV.

Can I watch iPlayer at another address?

Here’s where it gets a bit tricky - understandably, given that a licence linked to an address seems a bit archaic in a world of on-the-go-streaming. If you have a TV licence for your address, you will be covered to download or watch iPlayer on your device wherever you go unless - and here's the catch – it is connected to the electricity mains.

So, if the device is plugged in at a separate address, there needs to be a licence-holder at that property. Your licence does not count.

There are a few exceptions. If you're lucky enough to own a boat or a touring caravan, you can watch iPlayer programmes there under your home licence, even if you are plugged in. However if you own a second home, you will not be covered by a licence at your main address and so will need a second licence.

How will the BBC know if I don't have a licence?

A report published last month by the National Audit Office said the BBC has demonstrated its ability to detect people illegally watching live TV on "non-TV devices", The Guardian reports, which some have interpreted as the corporation spying on private wi-fi networks.

Despite suggestions Aunty would be using vans to snoop on people's wi-fi usage to see if they were watching iPlayer without a licence, Digital Spy reports this won't be the case.

A BBC official told the website: "While we don't discuss the details of how detection works for obvious reasons, it is wrong to suggest that our technology involves capturing data from private wi-fi networks."

Nevertheless, TV and iPlayer users are advised to purchase or update their licence before the 1 September cut-off to avoid being fined.