BBC Worldwide Unveils Global iPlayer App

LONDON: The new global BBC iPlayer app for the iPad offers up a range of classic and contemporary British programming, including Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers and Top Gear, from BBC Worldwide for viewers in 11 markets.

The app will initially be available in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. The English-language programming includes news specials and documentaries, entertainment, drama, comedy, science and nature, family and kids, music and culture and lifestyle. Titles include Only Fools & Horses, Sherlock, Luther, Pride and Prejudice, EastEnders, Charlie & Lola and more. Hours of fresh programming will be added each week, along with themed collections from the BBC’s archive.

John Smith, the CEO of BBC Worldwide, said: “I’m proud that we’re one of the first international broadcasters to give access to our shows in a perfectly packaged app. This launch is an important route to market in our strategy of pursuing multiple platforms for our programmes and brands, taking British programs to new digital audiences around the world. Today marks a significant next step on a digital journey that has already seen 12m BBC Worldwide apps downloaded across brands as diverse as Lonely Planet and Good Food.”

“Based on the soaring success of the U.K.’s pioneering BBC iPlayer service, the app combines technical innovation with editorial creativity to transport users to the heart of the BBC and British television and on a journey of discovery, wherever and whenever they want,” added Jana Bennett, BBC Worldwide’s president of worldwide networks and Global iPlayer “We have an exciting vision for what this service could become and will develop it based on feedback from within the markets.”