The BBC iPlayer is about to undergo another metamorphosis, its second since inception. The BBC iPlayer 3.0 is going to have social network integration at its core, and the ability to share what you’re watching or listening to could have a dramatic effect on viewing figures.
The BBC iPlayer
The BBC iPlayer has grown in both usability and popularity since its launch over two years ago. It’s now a must-use service for all residents in the U.K. and those outside of the U.K. who have found a way to circumvent the geo-blocking.
The man now overseeing the iPlayer as part of his job as the BBC’s director of Future Media and Technology is Erik Huggers. And he recently spoke to The Telegraph about the future of the iPlayer at the Changing Media Summit 2010.
iPlayer 3.0
The iPlayer 3.0 beta is set to launch soon. And it will bring integration with various social networking sites to the TV on-demand service. Deals with Facebook, Twitter, and Bebo are already in place, with more sure to follow.
IPlayer users will be asked to integrate their accounts with the BBC site. Them every time they sign in and use the iPlayer, they will also be connected to the social networks they use. This will enable them to see what their friends are watching or listening to, and vice versa.
The only other feature of the new-look iPlayer discussed was a new embeddable video player being rolled out across the whole of the BBC’s online presence. So, online video is clearly at the very heart of the larger BBC Web redesign.
Social Networking
It could be argued that the BBC is playing catchup in offering social network integration with the iPlayer, as social networking sites have grown phenomenally over the past couple of years, most notably Facebook and Twitter.
The effect this integration could have on viewing figures cannot be underestimated. Social networking sites are known to drive traffic to external sites in a big way, and if your friends are watching a show you’ve maybe never even heard of, there’ll be a temptation to give it a try.
Record Viewing Figures
With that in mind, I suspect the iPlayer’s viewing figures are going to continue growing, as they have been all along.
The iPlayer hit the 100 million requests milestone in December 2009, but February saw that figure increase to more than 116 million. That’s a whopping 81% year-on-year increase.
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