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The BBC is funded by an annual licence fee of £157.50 and its financing model has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. The Government has already agreed to review the corporation’s finance model, and ministers are believed to be looking into shifting towards a subscription service – similar to that of US giants Netflix and Amazon.

Last year the BBC suffered a major backlash after it announced plans to scrap free TV licences for the over-75s.

Since then petitions have been signed to reverse the decision and campaigns launched to defund the BBC.

A poll of more than 9,000 Express.co.uk readers has found almost nine-in-ten would not subscribe to the BBC if it scrapped the licence fee.

The survey conducted on Monday June 22 between 12.23pm and 10.00pm asked 9,114 Express.co.uk readers “If the BBC scrapped the licence fee would you pay a subscription to use it?”

A huge 86 percent (7,769) of readers would not pay for the service and voted no.

Just 11 percent (986) of participants would dip their hands in their pockets to watch the BBC and voted yes.

Meanwhile three percent (359) remained unsure and voted don’t know.

A number of Express.co.uk readers let their feelings known in the comments section.

One user said: “Yes, it should be scrapped and replaced with subscription. No, I would not subscribe.”

A second reader wrote: “I would agree to the principle of a subscription to encourage the BBC to scrap the licence fee and then I would not pay the BBC subscription.

A third commented: “Wouldn’t pay a subscription. Currently considering stop paying the licence fee as I don’t even watch the rubbish anymore.

“Netflix and Amazon is all I need.”

A fourth simply said: “No. Why should I pay something I do not watch?”

The BBC is to delay its decision to scrap free TV-licences for the over-75s for a second time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It means up to 3.75 million people – who were to start paying the hefty bill- will not have to find the money until October at the earliest.

Last year BBC chairman Sir David Clementi defended the move and said introducing licence fees for the over-75s was “the fairest one possible”.

The broadcaster said under the current scheme it would cost the BBC £745 million, a fifth of its budget by 2021/22.

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Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in February, the Government was reportedly ramping-up plans to turn the BBC into a subscription service.

A senior Downing Street source said: “We are not bluffing on the licence fee. We are having a consultation and we will whack it. It has got to be a subscription model.

“They’ve got hundreds of radio stations, they’ve got all these TV stations and a massive website. The whole thing needs massive pruning back.”

The BBC is facing also facing a financial crisis, last week the corporation invited staff to apply for voluntary redundancy as it attempts to make £125 million in savings.

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