Apparently, you can buy a TV in the UK, but you’re not allowed to watch it unless you get a TV license.

In the United Kingdom and the British Islands, any household watching or recording television transmissions at the same time they are being broadcast is required by law to hold a television licence. This applies regardless of transmission method, including terrestrial, satellite, cable, or for BBC iPlayer internet streaming. The television licence is the instrument used to raise revenue to fund the BBC and S4C.

Businesses, hospitals, schools and a range of other organisations are also required by law to hold television licences to watch and record live television broadcasts.

Since 1 April 2024, the annual cost has been £169.50 for a colour licence and £57.00 for a black and white licence (with a 50% discount for the blind). Income from the licence is primarily used to fund the television, radio and online services of the BBC. The total income from licence fees was £3.83 billion in 2017–18, of which £655.3 million or 17.1% was provided by the government through concessions for those over the age of 75 (this subsidy has now been phased out). Thus, the licence fee made up the bulk (75.7%) of the BBC's total income of £5.0627 billion in 2017–2018.