Global BBC iPlayer app gets squeezed all the way down to iPhone / iPod Touch size

Category: BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide today announced the appearance of the company’s on-demand Global BBC iPlayer trial service on Apple iPhone and Apple iPod Touch with a view to become available on Thursday 8th December.

Previously available on Apple iPad, the pilot subscription service will now reach millions of latest viewers in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of eire, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

John Smith, Chief Executive of BBC Worldwide commented: “The worldwide BBC iPlayer has seen great growth for the reason that pilot first launched in July – both when it comes to geographical expansion and technological developments. Moving to iPhone and iPod Touch allows us to take the service to an important new potential audience and deliver fantastic programme content from the BBC and the UK’s creative industry.”

In a keynote speech to the Digital TV Summit this morning, Jana Bennett, President Worldwide Networks and Global BBC iPlayer, said: “This platform extension shows how Global iPlayer is not just about moving TV to pill devices, it is also a couple of mobile strategy – about truly getting TV everywhere in a means that it hasn’t been before. We also want the worldwide BBC iPlayer to be truly representative of the entire gamut of British creative output, to symbolize everything that’s great about British content – not only the easiest of British TV however the Better of British Culture.”

First programme acquisitions for global BBC iPlayer

During her speech, which for the primary time gave a review of the 1st six months of its pilot, Bennett also confirmed the company’s first external programme acquisitions for the worldwide BBC iPlayer. Independent programme distributor DRG will supply a number of iconic British shows to debut at the commercial on-demand service in early 2012, alongside titles from the BBC catalogue.

Describing BBC Worldwide’s commercial on-demand service as representing “the simplest of British culture”, Bennett unveiled a brand new programme slate from DRG including the multiple award-winning Peep Show (British Comedy Awards; Royal Television Society, Rose d’Or Lucerne); the critically-acclaimed Shameless and the BAFTA award-winning Black Books. Also joining the road up are audience favourites Green Wing and Father Ted. Available from January in some territories*, the brand new shows might be available to international subscribers of the worldwide BBC iPlayer, alongside titles from the BBC catalogue.

The unprecedented level of editorial curation at the global BBC iPlayer was a huge theme of Bennett’s address, and he or she discussed the method of tapping into the world’s biggest library of audiovisual content – the BBC catalogue. In connection with this “treasure trove” Bennett reiterated BBC Worldwide’s dedication to broadening to the appeal of the worldwide BBC iPlayer through specially created collections of programmes.

To this end, she highlighted a few other editorial developments for the pilot service:

New genre categories: In January, the genre offering of the worldwide BBC iPlayer would be expanded with two new categories, ‘Music’ and ‘Arts and Culture’. ‘Arts and Culture’ might be home to classic strands comparable to Timewatch and Omnibus, in addition to contemporary shows just like the Narnia Code and The maths of Chaos.
Programme premiere: The addition of Something Special to the Children’s category will mark the primary time the programme have been seen outside the united kingdom. Fronted by the inimitable Justin Fletcher (Jollywobbles, Gigglebiz), the show is aimed toward preschoolers with learning difficulties and provides teachers, parents and carers various approaches to develop language and communication skills.
Radio: The worldwide BBC IPlayer could also be planning to feature selected speech programmes from BBC radio.

In her speech, Bennett shared findings about consumer usage across different markets, and shared BBC Worldwide’s own learnings from trying to monetise an enormous programme catalogue. Overturning the Pareto Principle – the concept that implies it’s natural that 80% of one’s revenues will stem from the pinnacle 20% of one’s content – she revealed that:

An unexpected 35% of viewers are watching multiple programme per visit
25% go directly to browse the app after watching a programme
On average, 75% of subscribers access the app each day

She said: “VOD promises to interrupt the 80:20 rule by creating availability and visibility of long tail content, enabling consumers to view (and therefore monetise) shows they might otherwise have simply been lying dormant.”

Jana Bennett delivered the Digital Keynote address on the Digital TV Summit on Tuesday 6th December, on the Doubletree Hilton in London.

Notes to Editors

* The programmes from DRG may be available to subscribers in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland in January.

The worldwide BBC iPlayer is currently available in 16 markets: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of eire, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

BBC Worldwide Press Office