Television licence or broadcast receiving licence is a payment required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts, In the UK 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. its not cable There are about 100 channels including all the BBC ones are broadcast OTA if you have a TV capable of receiving them then you will get them. We also have a number of satellite TV services who have extra channels if you wanted those you would have to pay that company. who will fit equipment in your house that can receive those channels. Think of it as the licence fee is for the OTA channels. Though if you don't pay they cant prevent you from getting them. and if you want more you have to pay a satellite company For those extra channels Imagine Netflix did not require a log in passcode it was broadcast OTA and any TV with an aerial could receive the signal all you have to do is switch to channel 180 and whatever is on Netflix is on the screen but you still have to pay Netflix if you watch that show. That is basically the TV licence system