Urgent TV licence warning as one Netflix show could cost you £1,000
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Brits using Netflix have been given an urgent TV licence warning as millions of viewers could be slapped with a £1,000 fine. The streaming service recently changed the content it provides as it began to exclusively show WWE's flagship weekly wrestling programme live in the UK this month.
And users of Netflix in the UK have been warned they could be fined if they watch any live broadcasts without a TV licence. Live episodes of WWE 's Raw programme began airing on Netflix on January 7 and continues to be broadcast at 1am every Tuesday. As well as Monday Night RAW, Netflix is also showing Friday Night SmackDown, and premium live events from WWE.
Netflix began weekly streams of WWE's flagship programme Raw earlier in January and watching them could also see you fall foul to the law. Although Netflix subscribers pay for the streaming service, there is a worry that watching a live broadcast may lead to a fine in the UK. Daniel McAfee, Head of Legal Operations at Lawhive, confirmed: "Under UK law, any live television broadcast requires a valid TV licence, regardless of the streaming platform.".
Mr McAfee advised viewers to "stay informed on licensing changes as streaming platforms expand live broadcast offerings." Since most of Netflix's content is on-demand, and not live, the majority of its subscribers will likely not need a TV licence to use the service.
While enforcement officers for the licence can carry out checks to ensure compliance, occupiers have "no legal obligation" to let them into their home, reported BirminghamLive. As Netflix continues to branch out further into live broadcasting, viewers will need to take care to ensure they're not breaking any licensing laws.
