Subscribers in the UK to Amazon’s Prime Video service will need to be covered by a TV Licence if they choose to pay for watching live TV services now offered by the entertainment platform.
Amazon announced this week it will offer live television channels for the first time in Germany, Austria and the UK. Customers who subscribe to Amazon’s Prime Video service will be able to pay an extra monthly subscription fee to gain access to live TV services including Discovery, Eurosport and ITV.
The move by Amazon also has implications for subscribers in the UK, as Jason Hill, TV Licensing spokesperson, points out: “If you watch or record live TV, either through your TV or live online through a website, then you need to be covered by a TV Licence. You also need a licence to watch BBC programmes on iPlayer, on any device.
“This change will not affect the huge majority of households which are already licensed. Around 94 per cent of people are correctly licensed so are already covered to watch live TV online.”
From April 1, 2017, a colour TV Licence in the UK costs £147. This applies whether using a TV set, computer, or any other equipment.
