The BBC has launched a consultation on its ambitions to increase the number of boxsets and archive programmes available on iPlayer, saying it needs to keep up with “market and consumer expectations”.
Under the BBC’s proposals, the corporation would “have the freedom to improve and increase the availability of programmes on BBC iPlayer by allowing us to publish – subject to our financial and operational constraints – any title on BBC iPlayer in line with our agreements with producers and underlying rightsholders, including the availability of any returning series as full series boxsets.”
Increasing the number of shows would bring iPlayer into greater competition with subscription and ad-funded streaming services, including BritBox UK in which the BBC recently sold its shares to ITV. However the broadcaster the change is necessary to support its ambition to boost use of iPlayer from the current 50% of BBC audiences per week to 75%.
In addition to increasing the number of boxsets, the BBC has recently proposed creating new iPlayer specific news formats and programmes and plans to improve personalisation.
The consultation is open to all and runs until August 4th.
