Over 33,000 people aged 18-25 in the UK were caught watching live or catch-up TV on BBC iPlayer without a TV licence in the past 12 months, according to new figures from TV Licensing.
According to TV Licensing research, 82 per cent of students in the UK use the BBC iPlayer, making it the most popular catch-up service among the demographic.
The new figures come just over a year after the UK government changed the law, requiring all people who watch on-demand content on the BBC iPlayer to pay the licence fee.
The move, which came into force on 1st September, 2016, marked the first time that UK viewers needed to pay to access non-live BBC programming via the web.
“With most students owning at least one device capable of showing live TV or watching BBC iPlayer – such as a laptop, smartphone or tablet computer – it’s important they know the law around being correctly licensed,” said TV Licensing spokesman Jason Hill.
“If you’re watching live TV on any device, including mobiles and tablets, or watch catch up programmes on BBC iPlayer, you need a TV Licence.”
