With just over a fortnight until the Rio 2016 Olympics gets underway, we thought it would be a prudent opportunity to remind everyone how to enjoy the coverage without a TV licence.
Rio 2016 kicks off, appropriately enough, with women's football on 3rd August 2016.
As sure as eggs is eggs TV Licensing's massed army of PR harlots will be poised ready to issue shit-scary (not) threats about the consequences of tuning into the action without a valid TV licence.
You can be fairly confident they'll talk about £1,000 fines (that never happen), enforcement officers that call anytime of the day (when they don't) and criminal records (that aren't really recorded anywhere). They might even mention the menacing (not) prospect of search warrants (that are hardly ever used) and detector vans (that are used even less).
As always, we remind readers that a TV licence is required for any property where they intend to receive "live" (as broadcast) coverage of any of the Olympic events.
Fortunately, there remains a myriad of perfectly legal ways to enjoy the coverage licence-free.
Here are just a few:
1. Watch it non-live on a catch up service: You do not need a licence to enjoy previously broadcast non-live coverage on the BBC's iPlayer for example. Be aware that from 1st September 2016 a TV licence will be required to watch non-live coverage on the BBC iPlayer, but not the online catch-up services offered by other providers.
2. Watch live at a friend's place: If they've got a TV licence you could go and watch their telly instead. If you didn't want to impose you could take your laptop around and stream live TV via their broadband connection.
3. Watch live at the pub/club: I'm reliably informed by student friends that you can nurture a soft drink for at least two hours if you sip it slowly. That's just enough time to see the marathon.
4. Watch live at your local electrical retailer: Electrical retailers do not need a TV licence for their display sets. If you're a bit of a cheapskate you could visit Currys and watch the best events there.
5. Watch online somewhere with free wifi. The business providing the free wifi service is probably covered by a valid TV licence, but even if they aren't there's no reasonable prospect of being pounced on by a TV Licensing goon that happens to pass by. They're all far too busy harassing soft targets like single mums, the disabled and the unemployed.
5. Watch online somewhere with free wifi. The business providing the free wifi service is probably covered by a valid TV licence, but even if they aren't there's no reasonable prospect of being pounced on by a TV Licensing goon that happens to pass by. They're all far too busy harassing soft targets like single mums, the disabled and the unemployed.
6. Become a TV engineer: If you're a TV fixer-upper then you do not need a TV licence to test equipment you're working on.
7. Visit the big screen: Big screens will be showing live Olympics coverage in cities across the UK. Wrap up warm, take a few tinnies and watch 'til your heart's content.
In common with the London 2012, the BBC will be live streaming every event on its website. Don't quote me on this, but they have absolutely no way of knowing whether you really do have a TV licence when you're watching online.
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