TV Licensing

What is ‘Live TV’ and when do I need a licence to watch it?

Live TV means any programme you watch or record as it’s being shown on any channel, TV service or streaming service. It’s not just live events like sport, news and music. It also covers soaps, series, documentaries and even movies.

You need to be covered by a TV Licence if you watch live on any channel, pay TV service or streaming service - such as Sky, Virgin, Freeview, Freesat, ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now, Netflix and Freely - on any device.

Find out more about watching live TV.