Overview
- Fresh CPI data averaging 3.15% for October 2024 to September 2025 points to a £179.99 licence from April 2026, with some reports suggesting up to £182.
- The Department for Culture, Media and Sport says no final decision has been made, after the government committed last year to use a CPI‑based averaging method for at least two years.
- The BBC’s latest annual report shows active licences fell to 23.8 million, roughly 300,000 fewer than a year earlier, equating to about £50 million less revenue.
- Media outlets report some households have stopped paying in anticipation of a potential increase, adding urgency to talks on the BBC’s long‑term funding model ahead of charter renewal in 2027.
- BBC chair Samir Shah has warned of a moment of jeopardy for the sector, while director‑general Tim Davie backs continued enforcement as over 25,000 licence‑evasion convictions were recorded in 2024 and MPs scrutinise editorial standards.