If it’s broadcast live on tv and is being broadcast live at the same time on YouTube then yes.
If it’s broadcast live on tv and is broadcast delayed on YouTube their for not live, then no.
I dont have one as i stream everything on my firestick. I informed them 2 years ago by phone and by letter but they continuously kept sending me letters until a couple of weeks ago when i had a knock on my door. Yep some man want me to prove it. I wasnt too pleased as i wasnt well but i let him in. Proved i had had no internet. No sky ect. I actually teather from my phone to mt Firestick so no need for one. He signed me off and left here quite happy.
Nope you are wrong, you need a license delay doesn’t matter.
How does this apply then?
You don’t need to buy a TV licence if you only use your TV to watch DVDs, Blu-rays or videos, or you purely use non-BBC catch-up and on-demand services, such as All 4, ITV Hub or Netflix, to watch non-live content
TV Licence Explained - Which? - Which?
Just for clarity, they this was in reply to an email I sent them, better clarification then their website.
The Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 (as amended), states that you need to be covered by a TV Licence if you:
- watch or record live TV programmes on any channel, or
- download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer
This could be on any device, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or Blu-ray/DVD/VHS recorder.
If a videocassette recorder, a DVD recorder or a colour television is used, whether separately or together, a Colour TV Licence is required. The use of a television as a monitor solely for computer/video games does not need a TV Licence.
If you watch or record live TV programmes on any channel or device, or download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer, you should buy a TV Licence at once.
Have fun 
In terms on online anything on the iPlayer or BBC three online you need a license so let’s just rule that out.
In the example you gave of Sky news on YouTube it’s still a broadcast channel and the delay is irrelevant you still need a license.
If you watch Sky News on YouTube for half an hour and on TV for half an hour it’s mostly the same but some of the stuff broadcast is different - for example there’s no adverts. So the YouTube version isn’t actually the broadcast version.
Doesn’t matter, you still need a license
The rules are silly. If I’m watching foreign TV online live I’d still need a TV license despite it not using the BBC or any of their infrastructure (masts, distribution etc.).
Edit: Plus, they’re just robbing b******* as well. If you call up on the 30th November having moved in on the same day, they’ll charge you for all of November with no other option if you want to watch live TV legally.
I cancelled mine last year, we only use netflix and amazon prime.
Being a Yank on here is interesting. I didn’t know you called pay for TV a “TV license”. I’m picking on all sorts of interesting phraseology.
Anyways I haven’t had cable TV in years. Netflix and HBO has me covered. Fiancée has Hulu for free with Spotify. Between those three its pointless to have Cable.
1 Like
I didn’t know you called pay for TV a “TV license”.
They’re different things, we have optional paid for tv which is services like Sky or Virgin Media, this is similar to/basically is what you call cable tv, and is completely optional.
The TV License however is not optional, if you watch and live television, whether it be free channels or ‘Pay for TV’ then you need to buy a license from the government. It pays for the BBC network, even if you don’t watch BBC
1 Like
Okay, interesting. We have PBS which is funded in part by taxes, but we don’t buy any kind of licenses.
Thanks for the correction and information!
No worries, its really stupid that we have it at all, I think the majority of us brits think the TV license should be abolished.
This wasn’t true three years ago.
2 Likes
wow, i’d love to see the same survey repeated today, but with only two options, keep or scrap, from a quick scan of that article it seems like other options were there such as subscription for BBC instead.
I could well be wrong on this but I for one can’t think of anybody that I know that would opt to keep the license.
2 Likes
I’ve had to explain to many well educated professionals that they don’t need a TV license just because they own a TV and correct other related FUD spread by TV licensing / apologists (such as the youtube stream example above).
I’m sure there are many vulnerable people such as recent immigrants who don’t speak great English and are scared by the red letters in the mail who needlessly have a TV license and for whom £154.50 a year would otherwise go a long way.
These morally reprehensible tactics, the scare letters, the vagueness around the requirements and the Capita salesmen going door to door calling themselves ‘TV license enforcers’ are the main reason I don’t have a TV license.
3 Likes
It would be a bit like Brexit, though. One option is the status quo, the other could mean anything from subscriptions, adverts, or scrapping the BBC.
I’d like to see a more up to date survey, though.
1 Like
Haven’t seen this shared yet:
https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/what-does-your-licence-fee-pay-for-top13
4 Likes
I would agrees it is worth the money I also think you should have the option to have a tv license or not and if you don’t then maybe the bbc serves on tv would be not available.
I don’t like how they handle certer issues like the old I do think it should be free for them over a certain age. Some tie a tv is all the old have and it is not fair.