BBC iPlayer gets ready for Christmas
Just in time for the festive season, the BBC has announced the arrival of BBC iPlayer on Xbox One. And, from this week, the BBC is extending the time you have to download TV shows to watch offline on a range of mobiles, tablets and computers – from 7 to 30 days - giving you the perfect opportunity to enjoy a bumper BBC Christmas schedule, wherever you are, during the festive period.
Today’s announcements build on a packed 2014 for BBC iPlayer, which saw a new version launch in March, with the service redesigned - featuring more advanced recommendations, smarter searching and a new look and feel. In October, BBC iPlayer got even better – with the catch-up window extended from 7 to 30 days for streaming - giving viewers even more choice about when and how they enjoy BBC programmes.
2014 was also a year that saw BBC iPlayer commission a host of exclusive content, including a celebration of 50 years of Notting Hill Carnival, London Fashion Week, new talent Drama films, original Comedy Shorts starring household names like Bob Mortimer, Micky Flanagan, Morgana Robinson and Meera Syal and Frankie Boyle’s Scottish Referendum Autopsy.
BBC iPlayer on Xbox One means viewers now have more opportunity to watch and catch-up on their festive favourites from the comfort of their sofa. BBC iPlayer is available on over 1200 devices including mobiles, tablets, computers and connected TVs. So, whether you’re on the way to the in-laws for a Boxing Day turkey, lazing around in bed after too much mulled wine or stuck on the train because there’s leaves on the line, there’s more opportunity than ever to catch your favourite BBC TV show.
2014 has also seen a remarkable shift in BBC iPlayer consumption. In October, 25 percent of requests for TV programmes came from BBC iPlayer on Connected TVs (including games consoles, Smart TV’s etc), beating requests from computers (23%) for the first time. However, handheld devices are still more popular than ever – with 52% of requests coming from viewers choosing to watch on mobile devices (smartphones and tablets).
Dan Taylor-Watt, Head of BBC iPlayer says: “TV is undoubtedly king at Christmas – and the arrival of BBC iPlayer on Xbox One gives viewers even more choice on how they watch. 30 day downloads arrives just in time for those unwrapping new devices, perfect for catching up on the bumper Christmas schedule.”
Victoria Jaye, Head of TV Content for BBC iPlayer adds: “This Christmas BBC iPlayer is coming home. With a huge 1 in 4 requests now coming from TV sets, new iPlayer’s popularity is going beyond solo, small screen viewing – it’s also the place to gather round and recreate the magic of shared viewing on BBC One and Two, but at a time that suits your family.”
