The BBC is launching a paid subscription for its online content in the United States.
The British public broadcaster announced that starting soon, U.S.-based readers can pay $8.99 per month or $49.99 per year for unlimited access to BBC.com, including news articles, feature stories, and a livestream of the BBC News channel.
Some content will still be free. Users in the U.S. can continue to access breaking news stories, BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service livestreams, newsletters, podcasts, and BBC World Service websites without paying. However, BBC.com will begin using a “dynamic paywall,” which means frequent readers may be asked to subscribe based on how often they visit the site and how long they stay.
“This approach lets casual visitors browse freely while offering loyal readers the chance to unlock everything,” the BBC said in its announcement. Paid subscribers will get full access to all articles and live content on the site.
The BBC says around 60 million people in the U.S. already visit its website. The new subscription model is part of the organization’s effort to bring in more money, especially as revenue from the UK’s traditional TV license fees continues to decline. In the UK, households must pay an annual license fee to legally watch live television or use BBC iPlayer. But with more people switching to streaming platforms like Netflix, about half a million UK households canceled their TV licenses last year.
To make up for the loss, UK lawmakers have discussed other ways to support the BBC, such as charging streaming-only users, adding ads to some BBC content, or even placing a tax on global streaming services.
The BBC says the U.S. subscription plan may expand in the future to include ad-free documentaries, films, podcasts, and exclusive newsletters. For now, it’s only being rolled out in North America. UK-based users won’t be affected, even if they visit BBC.com from abroad. Anyone in the UK can continue to use BBC News as normal, especially through the official app.
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At the moment, there are no plans to launch this subscription model in countries outside North America.
