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Date Published: 24/03/2025

BBC to cut off radio access for expats in Spain

As part of big changes to its international broadcasting, the BBC will soon be severely restricting access to various radio stations for overseas listeners

For listeners outside of the UK, the BBC will soon be limiting its streaming service to the platform BBC Sounds. Instead, listeners abroad will be directed to BBC.com or the BBC app and its new advertising-funded service.

Some podcasts and all music radio stations will disappear completely, due to legal rights restrictions. Others will only be available via paid subscription services, such as Apple or Spotify.

The BBC has stated that talk-based radio stations, such as Radio 4 and the World Service, as well as more than 1,000 podcasts, will still be accessible.

Popular shows such as Global News Podcast, The Global Story and Infinite Monkey Cage will continue to be available.

Nevertheless, this decision has raised concerns among listeners abroad, who are afraid of losing access to their much-loved BBC programming.

Kirsty Lang, presenter of Radio 4’s Front Row, Last Word and Round Britain Quiz, called the decision "devasting" for international listeners. She said that, "BBC Radio is a vital lifeline for so many overseas and I can’t fathom why they’re slashing it – or why they can’t introduce a subscription for people living outside the UK."

A spokeperson from the BBC commented: "BBC Studios recently launched a new listening experience outside the UK on BBC.com and the BBC app – which includes thousands of hours of podcasts, BBC Radio 4, and BBC World Service alongside the BBC's journalism and storytelling.

"As part of this launch, later this spring, the BBC will be making BBC Sounds available exclusively to UK audiences which will offer better value for UK listeners. UK users who go on holiday outside the UK for a short period of time will still be able to use the BBC Sounds app. These changes only impact BBC platforms, as BBC content will remain available on the same third-party platforms as before outside the UK."

For those living abroad, however, they may still be able to access BBC Sounds using a VPN (virtual private network) to hide their location and bypass geo-restrictions. However, this more covert way of getting access may prove difficult for those who are less familiar with technology.

As well as losing access to many programmes, current users of BBC Sounds, outside the UK, will also find their subscriptions and saved content deleted. They will need to manually reset their preferences on the new platform. The BBC has justified the move by stating, "BBC Sounds is funded by the UK licence fee. To deliver greater value to UK audiences, it will now be tailored exclusively for them."

The decision comes after a previous controversial change to the BBC’s audio approach, when they recently announced plans to introduce adverts on some radio programmes and podcasts when streamed from platforms like Apple and Spotify in the UK. This has been met with strong criticism from commercial competitors, who warn it could have a ‘disastrous’ impact on the advertising market.

The BBC is aiming to increase its advertising revenue as it faces a £500 million budget shortfall. At the same time, there are ongoing discussions with the government about the future of the licence fee, with the BBC’s current charter due to expire in 2027.

Image: Skylar Kang/Pexels

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