The BBC has expanded its subscription offering to users in the US to now include its mobile app.
Last June the broadcaster put its BBC.com website behind a paywall for visitors in the US in what it described as “the first phase” of a new pay model under which subscribers get access to documentaries, BBC News reports, feature stories, and a 24/7 livestream of the BBC News channel.
Additional enhancements including early-release podcasts, exclusive newsletters, and additional premium content are set to be added “in the coming months”.
Visitors who choose not to pay will have access to select global breaking news stories, BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service radio livestreams, BBC World Service Languages sites, plus some free newsletters and podcasts.
The BBC stresses that UK users and international visitors outside the US are unaffected by the new pay model.
However the broadcaster does operate significant commercial services both internationally and here in the UK where its wholly-owned UKTV subsidiary runs one of the nation’s largest portfolios of commercial channels including some available exclusively to Sky and Virgin Media subscribers.