The UK government is expected to consider a plan that would extend the BBC license fee to streaming video platforms, potentially making it cost nearly $240 a year to watch YouTube in the country. The proposal, reported by Engadget, would apply the existing television license fee to services including Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and YouTube.
The current license fee, £180 (about $239) per year, is already required for anyone watching content on a television, regardless of whether it includes BBC programming. Supporters of the expansion argue that viewers can avoid the fee by watching the same content on phones or computers, which they say is unfair.
Revenue from the expanded fee would reportedly go toward supporting local journalism and fighting misinformation. The BBC has also faced budget pressure, with the number of paid license fees falling by 2 million over the past five years, even as YouGov data shows it remains the UK's most popular media platform.
The proposal comes as the BBC expands its own streaming presence, including a 24/7 news channel on YouTube for UK and US viewers. No decision has been made, and the plan is still subject to government consideration later this year.