BBC online now charging US located persons?
Jul 28th 2025 | 10:08 am
#16
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 17,508
From: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Re: BBC online now charging US located persons?
Why pay a BBC subscription fee when you could get a VPN for about the same price? Maybe even less. A VPN gives so much more flexibility. I have Nord VPN and can select a UK server and watch BBC, ITV, etc. If I'm out of the US, I can select a US server to watch my US streaming services.
Jul 28th 2025 | 10:31 am
#17
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 35,499
From: CT
Re: BBC online now charging US located persons?
Ultimately, it's about how much you care about 'doing the right thing' - personally, I do use a VPN but only for content I can't even purchase if I wanted to. Or, if I am travelling for a short trip (no I wont buy a whole subscription for your stuff, which would be free at home, while I'm on holiday in Spain). I wish BritBox just covered all this stuff too, even if it was more expensive as just adding another subscription is more annoying that the actual cost.
BBC.com is vastly overpriced at their suggested fee. The content is nothing you can’t get elsewhere, the site is plastered with ads and, as you can easily use it with practically zero effort and no VPN, why on earth would anyone pay for it?
Jul 29th 2025 | 12:22 am
#18
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 17,508
From: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Re: BBC online now charging US located persons?
Im happy to pay for Britbox (and do) and I would also pay for a license in return for iplayer if I could. I can’t, so that money goes on the VPN.
BBC.com is vastly overpriced at their suggested fee. The content is nothing you can’t get elsewhere, the site is plastered with ads and, as you can easily use it with practically zero effort and no VPN, why on earth would anyone pay for it?
BBC.com is vastly overpriced at their suggested fee. The content is nothing you can’t get elsewhere, the site is plastered with ads and, as you can easily use it with practically zero effort and no VPN, why on earth would anyone pay for it?
(1) UK licence fee collection is abusive (inappropriately threatening people with legal consequences etc)
(2) As you say, trying to collect from US people is poorly targeted and probably ineffective
Despite the above two problems, I wish to shovel a little money in their direction, so I pay the licence fee in UK, where I have a flat, and I now pay the $50 a year or whatever it is, over here. Both are fairly small amounts of money, looked at on an annual basis.
Jul 29th 2025 | 1:41 am
#19
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,430
From: WA state
Re: BBC online now charging US located persons?
The quality of the BBC news website has dropped markedly this year. I used to spend 15 minutes reading the news, now I only spend 5. I would not pay for it in its current state.
Jul 29th 2025 | 1:56 am
#20
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 17,508
From: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Re: BBC online now charging US located persons?
Well, I think BBC News in general has become mediocre/bad. Their US coverage, for instance, ain’t great. My hesitation is, I visit it (website) so little, I’m not sure if it’s (a) piss poor or (b) I’m somehow navigating badly and missing the useful content.
