BBC to offer TV shows over the internet, worldwide

Recently, Communications Minister Steven Joyce told NBR that Sky TV – with its putative iSky broadband content service – is not in a near-monopoly situation, as some of it critics claim.

The minister said Sky TV faced multi-platform threats, and it was possible to imagine content creators using new technology to cut out the middle man.

Enter the BBC's iPlayer, an app that lets you watch TV and radio shows on-demand, over the web.

Currently, the iPlayer is geo-blocked, meaning its vast library of content can only be viewed by people inside the UK.

But in the New Year, the BBC revealed plans to take the iPlayer global – allowing viewers around the planet to view shows directly via the BBC website. Traditional broadcasters – such as Sky TV here with its UK TV channel – could be happily cut out of your viewing equation.

And while the Beeb is required to operate as a public broadcaster in its home country, its international division has free rein to operate on a purely commercial basis - and plans to do so with the iPlayer.

BBC director general Mark Thompson has announced that the subscription cost of the international iPlayer, will be "a small number of [US] dollars per month, definitely fewer than ten."

Mr Thompson made his comments to an audience at the Financial Times Digital Media & Broadcasting conference in London, adding that the BBC was "exploring internationally what the right pricing and models are... The most important thing is the consumer pricing is right."

The director general said the iPlayer would appeal because it would let people see shows in their original form. Local broadcasters often edit or reformat programmes.

And as an added bonus, iPlayer also aggregates content from ITV and other UK broadcasters.

As yet, there is no official launch date for the iPlayer to go global.

NBR staff
Thu, 03 Mar 2011

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BBC to offer TV shows over the internet, worldwide - for a fee