ITV is restructuring its online and on-demand business to centre on four product categories as it prepares to launch a series of digital innovations, including micropayments on ITV Player. The broadcaster has chosen specific product groups around which it will focus its resources: ITV Player; programme and web support; commerce and ventures; and news and sport.

ITV’s director of product strategy and audience engagement James Micklethwait will head the ITV Player group. He will be responsible for continuing the broadcaster’s cross-platform expansion strategy for ITV Player, which has seen it launch on Apple and Android smartphone and tablet devices, along with Sony’s PS3. It is now in talks with Microsoft over an XBox 360 games console roll out. He will also lead the preparations for the launch of micropayment trials on the TV catch-up player early next year. ITV is yet to reveal what kind of content it will trial for micropayments.

ITV’s multi-platform commissioning and digital content controller Richard Williams will take charge of the programme and web support group, which will also include red button support. His responsibilities will include expanding multi-platform, interactive TV show formats.

Director of commerce and ventures William Van Rest will head up the commerce and ventures group. His remit will involve developing online partnerships with third parties and ecommerce opportunities, as well as exploring new transactional business models for online and TV.

The news and sports group will be led by head of digital media for news and sport Julian March.

ITV Player’s reputation has been dogged by complaints about failures particularly for linear real-time when it has a tendency to collapse.

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