BBC: Thousands cancel TV licence in past five months

Hundreds of people each day opted to cancel their TV licence over the past five months, figures suggest.
Hundreds of people per day are cancellingHundreds of people per day are cancelling
Hundreds of people per day are cancelling

The Times reported the number of licences held across the UK fell by 82,000 in the five months to March this year, citing data obtained via the Freedom of Information Act.

This works out at around 550 per day, on average.

It comes as traditional broadcasters face the threat of streaming platforms and, in the case of the BBC, debate around decriminalising non-payment of the licence fee.

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Figures from an Ofcom report from last August suggested he number of UK households signed up to the biggest streaming platforms - Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV and Disney Life - stand at 13.3 million, or 47 per cent of all households.

A BBC spokesman told the paper that 91 per cent of the adult population used the BBC every week and its iPlayer platform had recently had record audiences.

On licence numbers, he added: "There will always be fluctuation and March's figures will include the fact that some people have found it more difficult to pay during lockdown."