TV Licence vs Streaming Services: Is It Worth It?
A TV licence costs £180 a year. Netflix Standard costs £13.99 a month, £167.88 a year. Here is how the main UK services compare, at prices checked on 21 October 2026.
Annual Cost Comparison
| Service | Monthly | Annual | What You Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| TV Licence | £15.00 | £180.00 | All live TV on every channel, BBC iPlayer |
| Netflix (Standard with adverts) | £7.99 | £95.88 | Films and series, with adverts |
| Netflix (Standard) | £13.99 | £167.88 | Films and series, no adverts |
| Netflix (Premium) | £20.99 | £251.88 | Adds Ultra HD and more screens |
| Disney+ (Standard With Ads) | £6.99 | £83.88 | Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, with ads |
| Disney+ (Standard) | £11.99 | £143.88 | As above, no ads |
| Disney+ (Premium) | £15.99 | £191.88 | Adds higher video and audio quality |
| Amazon Prime | £8.99 | £95.00 | Prime Video plus Prime delivery (annual plan) |
| Apple TV | £9.99 | £119.88 | Apple originals |
| Paramount+ | from £5.99 | from £71.88 | Paramount films and series (cheapest plan) |
UK list prices checked on 21 October 2026 on each provider's own page: Netflix, Disney+ (regular monthly prices, not the 6-month introductory offers), Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Paramount+ (publishes a "from" price only). Annual figures are the monthly price x 12, except Amazon Prime's annual plan. The TV licence is £180 from 1 April 2026. Live events streamed on any service (for example live sport on Prime Video) need a TV licence.
Household Scenarios
Streaming only
Netflix Standard + Disney+ Standard
£311.76/year
Save £180.00/year (no TV licence)
No live TV and no iPlayer, so no licence needed.
Licence + one service
TV Licence + Netflix Standard
£347.88/year
Live TV plus on-demand.
Full entertainment
Licence + Netflix Standard + Disney+ Standard + Prime Annual
£586.76/year
Live TV, iPlayer and three on-demand services.
Budget streaming
Netflix with adverts + Disney+ With Ads
£179.76/year
Save £180.00/year (no TV licence)
Two ad-supported services cost about the same as the licence alone.
What You Get vs What You Lose
With a TV licence
- • All BBC channels live and on iPlayer
- • ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 live
- • Live sport (free-to-air events)
- • Live news on all channels
- • National events coverage
- • Sky (if you have a subscription) live channels
Without a TV licence
- • All streaming services (Netflix, Disney+, etc.)
- • Catch-up on ITVX, Channel 4, My5
- • YouTube (all content except live TV simulcasts)
- • BBC Sounds (radio and podcasts)
- • Save £180/year
- • No BBC iPlayer, no live TV on any channel
Our Honest Take
If you watch BBC content regularly, enjoy live sport on free-to-air channels, or like having live news available, the licence is reasonable value at £180/year. If you have moved entirely to on-demand streaming and never watch live TV, there is no reason to keep paying. More and more households are making that switch, and it shows up in the BBC's own accounts: the estimated evasion rate fell to 11.93% in 2025-26, the first fall since 2019-20, and the BBC attributes it to households watching less licensable content rather than to tougher enforcement (Television Licence Fee Trust Statement, HC 523, July 2026). In other words, the people leaving are increasingly leaving legally.