BBC to look at overhauling licence fee as 300,000 more households stop paying

The BBC report said the current licence fee collection method remained ‘fair, effective, and good value for money’. Photograph: Nicholas.T Ansell/PA

A further 300,000 households have stopped paying the licence fee, as the BBC said it was looking at overhauling the payment to secure the corporation’s future “for the long term”.

As the broadcaster continues to battle the rise of YouTube and streaming services that have split audiences across numerous platforms, its annual report revealed 23.8m licences were in force at the end of the year, down from 24.1m in 2023-24. The drop means a loss of about £50m in revenue for the corporation.