BBC To Globally Launch The iPlayer Through The Apple iPad As A Subscription Only Service

It seems that the British people just love the Apple iPad! Well first, we had Sir Richard Branson and his iPad-only newspaper

called The Daily and now, it’s BBC which has seen the iPad as a feasible option to pursue global goals. The service in question here is the BBC iPlayer, which was initially launched in 2007, as it offered BBC’s programming through a desktop client exclusively to UK customers. Now, BBC is all set to go global, as it launches a global version of iPlayer video on demand service, which will initially come to the iPad as a subscription service.

Managing Director at BBC.com, Luke Bradley-Jones elaborates:

We're going to be adopting a pure paid subscription model for the global iPlayer for launch—in part to get audiences used to using the service, but more importantly so we can generate additional value from the service in terms of the user data that it gives us

However, the iPad will not be the only exclusive device to have the BBC iPlayer, as the company plans to roll out the iPlayer across multiple platforms, which happens to be the mid-term objective of the service. The service will be a paid subscription one, and BBC will also be allowing advertisers to partner with the company, for the iPlayer.

Why the Apple iPad seems to the favorite device of every other company that wishes to reach out to larger audiences, remains a mystery, as we saw Virgin Group release a magazine for the iPad, called Project. No doubt, it is amazing that the US market is one of the first few markets that will be getting this service out of the UK where it has already gained enough popularity in the three years that it has been around, however, for BBC to choose the iPad for the global launch of the BBC iPlayer, seems a pretty decent move.

Via Engadget