In the run-up to the renewal of the BBC charter in January 2028, the corporation is facing perhaps its greatest ever funding crisis. It is staring down cost hyper-inflation across most programme genres and, unlike online-only streamers such as Netflix, it will still have to fund traditional broadcast networks until at least 2034. And of course, it will also have to pay for new digital services to keep pace with trends, especially among younger audiences.
But the biggest driver of the BBC crisis is the cut in real-terms funding for its national, regional and local UK services. These are the services that largely account for licence payers’ willingness to pay the fee.
