BBC sees TV licence sales surge during World Cup thanks to QR code
-copy.jpeg?trim=0,0,0,0&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800&w=780&resize=780,470&ssl=1 "BBC sees TV licence sales surge during World Cup thanks to QR code")
The BBC reported a “very strong” performance in TV license sales during the last World Cup, based on the QR code promotion shown during matches.
However, this positive news came at a time when the broadcaster was in serious financial trouble.
Over the last decade the company’s license fee income has fallen by more than £1bn in real terms.
The BBC’s latest annual report has further highlighted this decline, revealing that more than half a million TV licenses have been lost in the 2025/26 financial year alone.
The annual cost of a color television license currently stands at £180, with this increase coming into effect on 1 April.
A TV licensing spokesman said: “The summer campaign, which includes the use of the QR code, is ongoing, but early signs suggest TV Licensing sales are performing very strongly during the World Cup.
“Major live sporting events often lead to an increase in sales activity. We will continue to do all we can to ensure people are properly licensed.
“Audience behavior and content consumption continues to change, and it is crucial that we agree a modernized funding model in the Charter talks so that the BBC can continue to serve audiences in the future.”
While 94 per cent of adults use BBC services each month, less than 80 per cent of households contribute financially towards the license fee.
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BBC chief Samir Shah previously said ahead of the publication of the annual report that the corporation’s funding model meant it “cannot sustain its public service mission”.
The annual report, published on 14 July, said the BBC’s financial outlook was “deteriorating” in the second half of 2025.
BBC TV licenses have fallen by over half a million in a single year, with 23.3 million active licenses down by 540,000 at the end of the 2025/2026 financial year.
The decrease is due to a decrease in the number of households requiring a license because they no longer consume licensable content.
The number of households declaring that they did not need a license simultaneously increased by 62 thousand, reaching 3.7 million.
This drop comes after 23.8 million licenses were in force the previous year. Overall, the number reached 25.9 million, down more than 2.5 million since the start of the decade.
