My opinion is that without the £3.5 billion a year that comes from the UK license fee, and the infrastructure and resources that the Beeb has built up over the years due to that income (plus what they also get from general taxation), they would be hard pressed to make these kinds of programs.

As a license is required for pretty much everyone who wants to watch any live TV in the UK, its always worth the trouble for any license fee payer to ask them to justify why BBC content is (apparently) available to non UK based viewers but not to those in the UK . http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complain-online/