BBC’s iPlayer to allow programme downloads

Published Wednesday 27 June 2007 at 16:55 by Matthew Hemley

Hundreds of programmes from the BBC’s portfolio of channels will become available to download from the internet when the Corporation launches its on-demand service, the iPlayer, next month.

The service, which will introduced on July 27, will give UK licence fee payers the chance to catch programmes they have missed seven days after they first air on television.

Once downloaded, consumers will have 30 days in which to watch the show. The file deletes itself when the programme has been watched.

Director of BBC Vision Jana Bennett said: “This is a significant moment as it heralds a new era when viewers will have the freedom to watch programmes from the BBC’s linear TV channels when they want to.”

Director of future media and technology Ashley Highfield said the Corporation planned to make the service available over television screens and had done a deal with Virgin Media to launch it on cable later this year.