The BBC iPlayer has now been with us for two whole years, and in that time has grown in usability and popularity. To celebrate this anniversary, the BBC has revealed usage stats for the service, including popular content, popular times for watching, and how the iPlayer is accessed.
BBC iPlayer
The BBC launched the iPlayer on Christmas Day 2007 after six months in beta. In that short time, the iPlayer had already been improved substantially, with streaming options added as well as download options, and operating systems other than Windows supported.
Since then, the iPlayer has grown in leaps and bounds.
This year saw a semi-relaunch with downloads for Mac and Linux users, and HD content added to the already impressive line-up of content. The iPlayer also migrated to a number of other devices, including the PS3, the Wii, and the iPhone.
The BBC has marked the iPlayer’s second birthday by releasing detailed stats for the service in 2009.
Most Watched Shows
Top Gear
takes the crown, with the top two spots on the list of the most-watched shows. Episode 1 of Series 13 was streamed an impressive 1.6 million times, with Episode 1 of Series 14 managing 1.3 million streams.
Other notables include Nick Griffin’s appearance on Question Time, David Attenborough’s Life, and the first episode of David Tennant’s last story arc as Doctor Who.
Devices and Viewing Times
The iPlayer is now accessible on more than 20 devices. Computers are still the mainstay, accounting for 86 percent of requests. However, requests via the Wii and mobile devices have both risen in recent months.
Requests from iPhone users accounted for around seven percent of the total in October, with ‘iPlayer on Mobile’ being most popular late on weekday evenings and in the early morning on weekends. Which suggests a lot of people watch iPlayer in bed.
Conclusions
2009 has been the best year yet for the iPlayer, with streaming figures hitting close to 90 million in November. Whether the BBC can top this in 2010 while still improving the service remains to be seen. But as an avid user I certainly hope so.
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