BBC iPlayer launches in Canada—is the US next?

Michelle Clancy ©RapidTVNews | 02-12-2011



The BBC iPlayer App for iPad is now available in Canada – the sixteenth territory to be added to the pilot launch.

The move brings the coveted iPlayer closer to the United States, where viewers are blocked both online and via widgets from using the service. But never fear: according to the Hollywood Reporter, the BBC is planning to add the States to its roster within the next few months.
The global BBC iPlayer App is a video on demand (VOD) subscription service available on iPad that offers viewers the opportunity to delve into an extensive archive of 70 years of classic and contemporary British TV programming both inside and outside of the home.
Subscribers can stream content or download shows for offline viewing for when Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity is unavailable. Users will also be able to use the 'Airplay' feature to wirelessly stream videos and music to the second-generation Apple TV and AirPlay speakers or receivers, including AirPort Express.
In Canada, subscriptions for unlimited VOD access cost $8.99 per month (or $84.99 for an annual subscription).As a special promotion, those that download the free app from the Apple App Store can access an episode every day until Christmas Day for no charge and without having to sign up to the monthly or annual subscription.
Content available includes Fawlty Towers, Absolutely Fabulous and Only Fools & Horses, along with more current fare like Whitechapel, Spooks, Gavin and Stacey, and Little Britain. EastEnders, Top Gear, the Doctor Who archive, natural history programmes like Blue Planet and Horizon, and children's shows like Charlie & Lola are also on offer.
Subscribers will also have the opportunity to access the BBC's music archive including live shows by Oasis and Robbie Williams at the BBC Electric Proms from 2007 – 2009, Blur – Live at Hyde Park and Dire Straits. A weekly-updated BBC News Programme collection is also available.
As part of an ongoing, year-long pilot program, BBC Worldwide expanded iPlayer streaming access to tablets across Western Europe in July and branched out to Australia in September. It is now available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Will the States be next? We can only hope.