MAJOR changes to TV Licences will come into effect on September 1.

A change in the law means licences will be needed by anyone downloading or watching BBC programmes, including catch-up TV, on the BBC iPlayer.

And with research showing iPlayer is the most popular form of watching catch-up TV online for students, TV Licensing is aiming to make them aware of the changes - or they could face fines of £1,000.

TV Licensing1's research shows that two in three students watch catch-up TV online, with only 22 per cent taking a television with them to university.

Students who already have a licence will be covered automatically, while one will not be needed to watch other on-demand services such as Netlfix or ITV Player.

The new rules apply to all devices, including smart TVs, desktop computers, laptops, mobiles, tablets and games consoles.

Ben Craig, spokesman for TV Licensing, said: “Watching catch up TV is really popular among students and we want to make sure students are aware of the change in law.

"From 1 September, everyone will need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch BBC TV programmes on demand – including catch up – on iPlayer.

"And, of course, you still need to be covered by a licence for all live viewing and recording, no matter which channel you are watching or what device you are watching on.”

If you are at university, you can visit tvlicensing.co.uk\studentinfo, or contact an adviser over the phone on 0300 790 6113.