Will catch-up TV kill the licence fee?
The number of people who say they don't have a TV has seen a huge jump, according to the latest figures - from 1.1 million to 1.6 million. It is thought that a number of them have decided to ditch the TV in favour of watching catch-up services, including iPlayer and Demand 5.
The figures come from the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board, and cover the 15 months to the end of 2014. It doesn't track whether or not these people are paying the licence fee, but if they all stopped, it would have cost the BBC millions of pounds.
Growing trend
This is likely to be a growing trend too, as more families change their viewing habits, and decide to save money by sticking entirely with catch-up services including BBC iPlayer and ITV Player on computers, tablets and phones.
A study by YouView found that catch-up and on demand services accounted for a fifth of all TV viewing - while those aged 18-24 watch a third of their TV this way. And while 77% of people said they still used their main TV the most, they had an average of four devices on which they were able to watch. Some 57% used their computer to watch television programmes, 14% used a games console like the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 and 25% used a tablet.
The law
The rules dictate that you can watch programmes that have already been screened without having to buy a licence - as long as you are watching on a device that cannot receive live television i.e. not a smart TV.
Many of the catch-up services also let you watch programmes being streamed live at the same time as they are broadcast, but you need a licence to watch these. When you choose to stream content you will usually receive a reminder of the rule. However, it's not known how many people ignore the message and carry on watching the service without paying for it.
The licence fee
The BBC wants to see catch-up included in the licence fee - so you cannot watch it without paying for a licence. It has previously said that it wants this to be part of its discussions around the renewal of its charter at the end of 2016. Technologically, it would be perfectly achievable by then, as there's nothing to stop iPlayer being accessed by a code that's only available to licence payers.
But these figures could be more ammunition for those who are keen to see an end to the licence fee altogether. There has been plenty of talk surrounding the appointment of John Whittingdale as the new Culture Secretary. He has been an outspoken opponent of the licence fee over the years, and in October famously released a report comparing it to the poll tax and saying it was unsustainable in the long run.
But what do you think? Will catch-up TV kill the licence fee? And will you be glad to see it go? Let us know in the comments.
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