I’m of the firm belief that online video services should all be available globally. The Internet is global, so why limit these services by territory? The BBC looks set to be the first company to take this international step, offering the iPlayer on a global scale.
BBC iPlayer
The BBC iPlayer is an absolutely fantastic on-demand video service. In terms of offerings for British viewers it’s up there alongside Channel 4’s 4oD as the best of breed. Unfortunately, only those resident in the U.K. can watch it without some serious technical knowhow.
However, there have been rumblings of an international version of the iPlayer for quite some time, with the first mention of it occurring way back in June 2009. By August 2010 the plans seemed to be coming together, with a vague “within a year” timeline offered.
Now, a 2011 launch looks very much on the cards, with approval from the BBC Trust and the CEO of BBC Worldwide telling a British newspaper that a global iPlayer is definitely on its way.
Going Global In 2011
The latest news of iPlayer’s rush overseas comes courtesy of John Smith, the ambiguously-named chief executive of the BBC’s moneymaking division. He recently told The Telegraph:
At BBC Worldwide we believe there is an under-exploited market for UK shows which the web might open up. Hence our work on a global iPlayer which we hope to bring to market next year. Not only will that mean international fans of, for example, Doctor Who can get their fix legitimately (rather than downloading programmes illegally), but it has the potential of opening up a new revenue stream for the entire UK production industry.
That attitude is a breath of fresh air from a TV executive. If only some of the U.S. network execs would come around to the same way of thinking. Then again the BBC is a different beast due to its public funding. It doesn’t matter how people watch the shows, the BBC gets paid regardless.
Still, realizing that offering programming legally would prevent people from doing so by less legitimate means is something that the U.S. networks seem incapable of doing.
The BBC isn’t planning on giving its content away free, but will instead make revenue via either advertising, one-off fees for shows, or even monthly subscriptions for the global iPlayer service.
Conclusions
I really hope the BBC does roll out a global iPlayer, and I hope it’s advertising- rather than fee-based. That would guarantee millions of people tuning in, while fees would put millions off and limit the appeal of the service to the more committed fans of BBC shows in the U.S. and beyond.
