Today’s change means shows are available for an extra 23 days, giving audiences more time to catch-up on episodes they’ve missed or discover new shows.
According to the BBC, more than 150,000 searches were carried out for BBC One’s hit drama Happy Valley in the three weeks after the show’s final broadcast by which time all episodes had expired.
The first wave of new shows to be available for longer includes the second series of BBC Two’s The Fall.
The 30 day availability is now live on the web version of iPlayer as well as on connected TV devices, including Sky+, which have been updated with the new version of BBC iPlayer.
In a blog post, Dan Taylor-Watt, Head of BBC iPlayer, says: “Virgin Media TiVo, YouView and BT Vision boxes will all receive 30 Day availability when they are upgraded to the new version of BBC iPlayer, which we are working with those partners to achieve.”
Tony Hall, Director-General, BBC said: “BBC iPlayer pioneered online viewing. It is recognised as not just the first, but the best service of its type in the world. It offers amazing value. But we want to go further.
“That’s why we began reinventing iPlayer earlier this year with a brand new redesign and features. Extending the catch up window to 30 days now makes the best value on-demand service even better.
“We have a fantastic autumn schedule and the public will now have more opportunities to watch the shows they love.”