I think the new TuneIn service has the option to use TuneIn Premium (subscription service). Presumably the old service will be replaced with this new one. 

Why would anyone pay to simply get a stream url?  Premium, my ars* …

There are better free alternatives. 

To help towards paying the wages of the artists, engineers and those that work at the station.

So, does Tunein then pay in turn to the radio stations they aggregate?  I think not. 

I wonder just how much they've given to Radio Paradise, for example. 

Maybe they give a little extra to the artists instead, who knows? I wouldn’t concern yourself, particularly if you’re not going to be using their new service anyway.

I’m actually a premium user of their service and have been for quite some time.

Probably a valuable question to ask TuneIn, not Sonos. 

Although I know that while I was a subscriber, I was getting Baseball, and a lot of exclusive streams that they created and curated. I know that content changes year to year, as they sign contracts with various folks periodically.  If only they’d carry F1 :)
They have (had?) an office down the street from me when I worked in downtown SF, but it’s been a few years. I’d bet there’s a cost in maintaining all of that connection, too, it isn’t just a guy sitting in his living room. 

I'm not a sports fan.  On a general note, I just can't understand why anyone would hand money over to the millionaire outfits dominating sport, but evidently billions around the world are happy to do so

(8/1/23) So I took an offer -for Sonos subscribers- for a 3 month trial of TuneIn Premium. Just by going to services and adding the BBc2 add

One thing I like about the new Tune API for Sonos is the log in access that had all my favorites (and family favorites) by folder -yes we do listen to a lot of international and niche radio, alt, indie, etc.

The bad part as I let Tunein know via Twitter DM is that none of the BBC radio stations were working on their Sonos API, including my daily favorite BBC6 “6 Music”. When I was re-adding my Sonos favorites through the new TuneIn API I made the error of removing BBC6 (the one with the old Tunein API) and guess what? BBC 6 now not working on old or new Tunein API ...only via airplay (or chromecast) which to me defeats the point, deplete’s phone battery and add little steps plus possible interruptions. 
 

While, here in the States, one can play BBC stations (some) via Google Play or Alexa or airplay or chromecast or on tunein via web browser or BBC Sounds (on browser) one bought a sound system for a reason. BBC website does not give much hope either. 

It’s certainly likely that the BBC doesn’t have the rights to broadcast all or parts of their content internationally.

But I’m delighted you X’d (is that the new term for Twitter/Tweeting?) the BBC your concerns. 

Thanks Bruce, but that particular station BBC 6 (6 Music) and the other 5 essentials (BBC 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 + their iterations like Extra, Asian Network, 1D, 1X, 4 Extra, etc.) and many of the regional and language signals have been available on Sonos and other smart speakers (beyond UK) for a long time ...ever since I bought into Sonos (a long time ago), and they are still available (say here in the States) on web browser (tunein or BBC Sounds) and Google Home and Tunein mobile app, etc. 

The Beeb’s decisions on availability beyond the UK have always been nebulous, the seem to lack of a business vision to make their service profitable overseas. If UK residents pay a license, why not market it as a streaming platform overseas? What is confusing is the ways in which it is available (with exceptions) and the ways its not. Sonos and other hardware seem to be the latest outcasts. I am hoping that decision makers at Sonos (and competitors), Tunein (and competitors) and BBC are in steady conversation about this, but maybe I am fantasizing.