BBC Accounts and Trust Statement 2024-25

Public Accounts Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 10 Jul 2025 Parliament page
An average 85% of UK adults use the BBC each week, spending 6hr26min watching BBC TV/iPlayer. In 2023-24, there were 23.9 million TV licences in force at the end of the year, around 775,000 of which were free licences for those aged over 75. In 2023, the value of the … Read more
6 Recommendations
26 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
3 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 7 events
14 May
2026
Correspondence
27 Apr
2026
Correspondence
16 Mar
2026
Correspondence
19 Jan
2026
Report published
21 Nov
2025
Report published
15 Sep
2025
Oral evidence
15 Sep
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
15 Sep 2025
View on parliament.uk
Leigh Tavaziva · BBC Shirley Cameron · BBC Tim Davie CBE · BBC
Title HC No. Published Items Response
56th Report - BBC Accounts and Trust Statement 2024–25 HC 1230 21 Nov 2025 32 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
9 results
Clear
13 Conclusion Accepted in Part
56th Report - BBC Accounts and Tru…
Capita's IT system upgrade for digital licence fee engagement significantly delayed.
Capita, the BBC’s main contractor for TV licensing, has experienced significant delays in upgrading its IT systems, designed to improve the website and customer journey to support digital engagement.24 The BBC told us that delivery had been challenging and delayed … Read more
Government Response
The Committee reported on delays in Capita upgrading its IT systems for TV licensing. Lessons learned from the Capita contract are shared across TVL and the wider BBC through a joined up strategic approach to procurement and contract management.
HM Treasury
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14 Conclusion Accepted in Part
56th Report - BBC Accounts and Tru…
BBC's delayed adoption of milestone payments and Capita's lack of sales incentives.
To address these challenges, the BBC escalated issues directly with Capita’s CEO and co-located supply-chain technologists to improve coordination. The BBC told us it switched to payment by milestone part- way through the programme, after delays had already occurred, and … Read more
Government Response
Lessons learned from the Capita contract are shared across TVL and the wider BBC through a joined up strategic approach to procurement and contract management, but the BBC does not believe that incentives on income or evasion reduction would be appropriate.
HM Treasury
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16 Recommendation Accepted in Part
56th Report - BBC Accounts and Tru…
BBC's commercial returns reporting lacks transparency, hindering parliamentary assessment of strategic objectives.
Alongside PSB savings, the BBC sought to increase returns from its commercial arm. BBC Commercial achieved record sales of £2.2 billion in 2024–25, up from £1.9 billion the previous year, and the NAO concluded that BBC Studios had succeeded in … Read more
Government Response
The BBC will ensure that BBC Commercial’s overall returns including dividends to the BBC Group are published annually in its Annual Report and Accounts, aligned with the 2026 publication date; they already report to Ofcom.
HM Treasury
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17 Conclusion Accepted in Part
56th Report - BBC Accounts and Tru…
BBC uses increased borrowing capacity for commercial growth and supporting public service broadcasting.
The BBC explained that its commercial strategy involved balancing reinvestment for growth with delivering returns to support PSB.34 It told us that it is using its increased borrowing capacity, within an overall debt limit of £3 billion, to fund acquisitions … Read more
Government Response
The Committee reported on the BBC's commercial strategy, including reinvestment for growth and using borrowing capacity to fund acquisitions. The BBC will ensure that BBC Commercial’s overall returns including dividends to the BBC Group are published annually in its Annual Report and Accounts.
HM Treasury
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18 Recommendation Accepted in Part
56th Report - BBC Accounts and Tru…
BBC's investment decisions lack transparent reporting on assessments and returns, limiting parliamentary scrutiny.
The acquisition of BritBox International in March 2024 illustrated the BBC’s strategy of investing to monetise content and secure longer-term returns.39 The BBC told us that this acquisition, alongside other initiatives, was intended to strengthen its ability to distribute content … Read more
Government Response
The BBC will publish BBC Commercial’s overall returns including dividends to the BBC Group annually in its Annual Report and Accounts, aligned with the 2026 publication date; they already report to Ofcom.
HM Treasury
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19 Conclusion Accepted in Part
56th Report - BBC Accounts and Tru…
BBC's commercial activities and intellectual property ownership are vital for revenue growth.
The BBC’s commercial activities provide a way to offset declining licence fee income, with BBC Commercial through BBC Studios, reporting turnover growth that it attributes to its ability to generate and monetise intellectual property.43 The BBC told us that commercial … Read more
Government Response
The BBC will ensure that BBC Commercial’s overall returns including dividends to the BBC Group are published annually in its Annual Report and Accounts, while reporting what is required under accounting regulations.
HM Treasury
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20 Conclusion Accepted in Part
56th Report - BBC Accounts and Tru…
BBC aims to significantly increase the proportion of its owned productions and intellectual property.
On the specific balance between existing franchises and newly created IP, the BBC told us that in 2024–25, three of the top ten most profitable titles were IP generated from BBC Studios. The BBC explained that it tracked the proportion … Read more
Government Response
The Committee reported on the balance between existing franchises and newly created IP, including the BBC's plan to increase BBC-owned productions and IP. The BBC will ensure that BBC Commercial’s overall returns including dividends to the BBC Group are published annually in its Annual Report and Accounts.
HM Treasury
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21 Conclusion Accepted in Part
56th Report - BBC Accounts and Tru…
Strong BBC brand and international appeal underpin successful monetisation of intellectual property.
The BBC pointed to specific examples to illustrate the commercial value that successful IP could generate, highlighting its global rights to ‘Bluey’ as having created “enormous value,” alongside other diversified commercial assets such as BritBox International.46 The BBC also stressed … Read more
Government Response
The Committee highlighted the commercial value that successful IP could generate for the BBC, including global rights to ‘Bluey’. The BBC will ensure that BBC Commercial’s overall returns including dividends to the BBC Group are published annually in its Annual Report and Accounts.
HM Treasury
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22 Conclusion Accepted in Part
56th Report - BBC Accounts and Tru…
Creating new intellectual property is inherently uncertain, necessitating early engagement with UK talent.
At the same time, the BBC was clear that creating new IP was inherently uncertain and high-stakes: it told us that success was unpredictable, describing commissioning as a “spread-betting game” in which some developments would fail even when strategic bets … Read more
Government Response
The BBC will ensure that BBC Commercial’s overall returns including dividends to the BBC Group are published annually in its Annual Report and Accounts, while reporting what is required under accounting regulations.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 31 of 6 classified
Accepted 8
Accepted in Part 9
Acknowledged 8
Deferred 5
Rejected 1
Total 6 recs + 26 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
14 May 2026 To committee Letter from the Director, Across the UK at the BBC relating to BBC’s Implementation of Across the UK, 25 March 2026
Parliament page
27 Apr 2026 To committee Letter from the Chief Operating Officer at the BBC relating to BBC accounts and trust statement, 16 April 2026
Parliament page
16 Mar 2026 From committee Letter to the Director General of the BBC relating to Treasury Minute response: BBC Accounts and Trust Statement 2024-25, 16 March 2025
Parliament page