Decipher’s latest VoD Audit reveals YouView is now the largest catch-up TV provider in the UK, growing by 24 per cent to offer 2,677 assets. This gives it the lead over Sky by 85 assets with the satellite provider’s catch-up service totalling 2,592 assets, reflecting 11 per cent growth since June. Importantly however, Sky’s claims […]
HD+, SES Astra’s German DTH platform, has reported 1,280,783 paying homes as of September 30th 2013, a growth of 35 per cent for the year. The total number of homes receiving the HD+ service has now reached 2.68 million, although 1.4 million are still in a free 1-year trial period. HD+ added 87,899 subscribers in […]
Pact has signed a new business framework agreement with the BBC. A public focus of the agreement has been the extension of the use of indies’ programmes on the BBC iPlayer, from seven to 30 days. That aspect is one part of the Pact-BBC deal that has been agreed. Independent production companies will benefit under […]
The BBC is creating a “Controller of iPlayer” role, with the aim of developing the catch-up TV service into the corporation’s fifth channel. Danny Cohen, the BBC’s director of television, said he hoped that by creating the role people will “begin to see” iPlayer as a “fifth channel … [so it] has that status”. The […]
Outlining his plans for the future of the BBC, Director General Tony Hall promised it would have a closer relationship with its audience going forward, treating them as “owners” rather than licence fee payers. A “personalised BBC” will allow viewers to rate and discuss programmes, and that “will influence what we commission,” he said. Hall’s […]
The BBC is launching a +1 “timeshift” channel, which will offer viewers the chance to watch programmes an hour after they are originally broadcast. BBC Director General Tony Hall said: “It’s what audiences expect, especially younger ones, and it means people can get more of what they’ve already paid for.” All the BBC’s commercial rivals […]
BBC director general Tony Hall will unveil the next generation BBC iPlayer in a keynote speech on October 8th at Broadcasting House. In the speech, called “Where Next?” Hall will address the technological challenges facing the BBC and, in particular, how it needs to adapt to the consumption of digital content on devices other than […]
BBC Radio 1 is launching its own channel on the iPlayer. The flagship radio station says the new channel will allow fans to watch exclusive performances and interviews not broadcast anywhere else. Content will include music featured in Radio 1’s Live Lounge and at the annual Big Weekend festival as well as interviews with celebrities […]
Sky has confirmed that its catch-up services will expand to include 12 new channels before the end of the year – including Discovery, TLC, E!, Star, Watch, GOLD, Dave, Alibi, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Cartoonito and Sky News. The satellite broadcaster has also beefed up the Sky Box Set Collection, which is available for Sky+HD box […]
The BBC has released iPlayer performance figures for August 2013: The online catch-up service recorded 234 million requests in August, up up 19 per cent on this time last year. Mobile and tablet requests made up 32 per cent of total BBC iPlayer requests – equalling the record set in June this year August saw […]