Overview

• Sefton Magistrates Court dismissed TV Licensing’s case against Lee Stuart in June 2025 after he proved he only watched on-demand services and had no live broadcasts
• TV Licensing warns that watching live content on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, YouTube or BBC iPlayer without a valid licence can lead to prosecution and fines up to £1,000
• Legal clarification confirms that viewers using Netflix, Disney Plus or Amazon Prime solely for on-demand programmes do not require a TV licence
• Over 500,000 households cancelled their licences in the past year following court decisions that distinguish live broadcasts from on-demand viewing
• TV Licensing enforces compliance through a database of around 31 million addresses and deploys visiting officers and detector vans to detect unlicensed live viewing