Digital TV News

BBC’s global iPlayer to cost less than TV licence

Monday 21 February, 2011

By Becca Talbot - becca@consumerchoices.co.uk

Brits living abroad or on holiday will soon be able to keep up-to-date with EastEnders and Doctor Who, as BBC plans a new global iPlayer app that will cost less than $10 a month.

A BBC boss has revealed that the global version of the on-demand iPlayer service will cost less than $10 (£6.13) a month, or around £73 a year - half the amount of the UK TV licence fee, which is £145.50.

Speaking at a conference in London yesterday, Mark Thompson, director general at the BBC, said that the service, which will only be available internationally via an iPad app at first, will launch later this year and will cost “a small number of dollars per month, definitely fewer than 10”.

He added: “We’re exploring internationally what the right pricing and models are. The most important thing is the consumer pricing is right.”

It has not yet been revealed what will be shown on the global BBC iPlayer, but it is likely that some top BBC programmes such as Doctor Who and Top Gear will be available, allowing people abroad to catch-up on any TV they have missed.

Plans to launch a global version of the popular service were unveiled last November, and it is thought that, unlike the UK iPlayer, the content on the catch-up service will be supported by advertising.

Speaking to the Telegraph, a spokesman for the BBC said: “The global iPlayer will not be the BBC’s entire UK services for a year wrapped up in an app. It will be a combination of current and past shows, editorially tailored for different international audiences.”