The BBC has smuggly announced that viewers flocked to its iPlayer platform in May.
During that month the iPlayer received 570 million requests to stream programmes, which was an increase of six million on the previous month.
Given that everyone has been held captive in their homes due to the coronavirus lockdown, the BBC can't take too much credit for people spending extra time surfing the web and ending up at the iPlayer. It's also true that given the passage of time, the iPlayer archive becomes larger and therefore will naturally attract additional viewers.
Dan McGolpin, controller of BBC iPlayer, said: "BBC iPlayer continues to rise higher with yet another record-breaking month in May - 72% more programme requests than a year ago, it's been the only place to binge on the wonderful new hit series Normal People and the place to see returning favourite Killing Eve first. Before the lockdown period began and all the way through it, iPlayer has been providing a unique mix of entertaining, informative and educational television whenever and wherever people want it."
If anything the BBC has shot itself in the foot by publicising these latest figures. The numbers prove, yet again, that people are increasingly turning to on-demand programmes, most of which are exempt from the £157.50 TV licence fee. People are abandoning normal linear TV - e.g. the watching of programmes at the time of their broadcast - in their droves. The savvy consumers of today are increasingly prepared to pay for the entertainment they want, when they want it.
A quick reminder of the three most popular on-demand services that do not legally require a TV licence:
1. Amazon Prime
Over the last year or so the Amazon Prime service has exploded in popularity. Prime allows users unlimited streaming of the latest movies and TV episodes, but they also benefit from free one-day delivery (okay, so nothing's really free!) on millions of different products purchased via the Amazon website, plus free access to thousands of ebooks, plus first dabs on some of Amazon's best deals.
Amazon Prime currently costs the princely sum of £79 per year, which is half the cost of a TV licence.
Amazon offers a 30 day free trial of Prime, which you can sign up for here.
2. Netflix
A subscription to Netflix's most popular standard HD package currently costs £7.49 per month, which at the equivalent of £89.88 per year is slightly more than half the cost of a TV licence.
According to Netflix: "We have thousands of movies and TV show episodes available to watch instantly right on your TV via any device that streams Netflix, including PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, and your computer. There are never any commercials no matter how much you watch, and you can pause, rewind, fast forward or re-watch as often as you like. It's really that easy!"
Netflix offers a 30 day free trial, which you can sign up for here.
3. NOW TV
NOW TV is Sky's online streaming service. As well as allowing users to watch Sky's most popular programmes "live" (which would require a TV licence), it gives access to a multitude of on-demand content. Unlike a regular Sky subscription, there is no ongoing contract with NOW TV - the user simply dips in and out of whichever Sky content interests them.
A NOW TV Entertainment Pass, which allows on-demand access to some of Sky's most popular shows, currently costs £8.99 a month. That works out at £107.88 per year, which is around two-thirds the cost of a TV licence.
NOW TV offers a 30 day free trial, which you can sign up for here.
Of course whichever of these options you chose, you would still have full access to the BBC's radio and online content, neither of which require a TV licence. Please note that a TV licence is legally required to view or download BBC on-demand programmes from the iPlayer.
Of these three options we consider Amazon Prime the best value for money, particularly for anyone who already uses the Amazon website on a regular basis, as Prime comes with free next day delivery on virtually all Amazon purchases, free streaming of more than 2 million music tracks, free access to thousands of ebooks and early access to deals.
Remember: If you decide not to keep these services it is important that you cancel before the end of the free trial period, otherwise you may incur additional costs.
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