The BBC are planning to extend their hugely successful iPlayer video on demand service to a worldwide audience by offering selected paid for content.

Because of licensing restrictions, a Global iPlayer would not be able to show domestic content in its entirety; rather, BBC executives believe that foreign audiences would be prepared to pay for the likes of Top Gear, Torchwood and Doctor who.

With around 50m registered BBC.com users, a major focus of a global iPlayer would certainly include the US. BBC executives believe that viewers in America would be prepared to pay up to $10 dollars for an episode of  a popular archive programme.

Since its launch on Christmas Day 2007, users of iPlayer have watched some or all of the BBC's programmes over 450 million times. An 'international' iPlayer is a logical extension to this hugely successful service.

Although the international iPlayer is 'production' ready, being six months in development, it will first require approval from the BBC Trust (the Corporation's governing body) before it goes live.

RELATED ARTICLES

   BBC iPlayer to offer High Definition content