BBC explores AI-powered iPlayer redesign under Matt Brittin
October 8, 2026 12.49 Europe/London By Julian Clover


The BBC is preparing to test a series of changes to iPlayer, including an AI-powered content assistant, personalised recommendations and new discovery features, as director-general Matt Brittin pushes for a more digital-first approach to public service broadcasting.

The proposals were presented to BBC staff by Manon Dave, Head of Future World Design in the corporation’s Media Tech division, during an internal meeting addressed by Brittin.

According to Deadline, which obtained a recording of the meeting, Dave demonstrated a concept for a redesigned iPlayer developed without the usual internal constraints.

Among the features was an AI assistant called Iggy, designed to help viewers discover programmes, provide content summaries and communicate with audiences in different languages.

The proposed interface also featured a personalised main image at the top of the iPlayer homepage, using viewing history and algorithmic recommendations to highlight programmes likely to interest individual users.

Another feature, dubbed Vegas mode, would allow viewers to leave their next programme choice to iPlayer, effectively introducing a randomised content discovery option.

Dave said he wanted iPlayer to become a service that audiences instinctively turn to for entertainment, adopting the phrase “iPlayer and chill”.

Brittin praised the presentation as an example of the approach he wants the BBC to adopt, with some of the ideas expected to enter audience testing in the coming weeks.

The proposals remain experimental, and the BBC has not announced a timetable for their wider introduction.

The iPlayer presentation formed part of a wider address in which Brittin called for faster decision-making, greater experimentation and a stronger focus on measurable audience outcomes.

The former Google executive, who became BBC Director-General in May, argued that the corporation needed to move away from lengthy internal processes and give teams greater freedom to develop and test digital products.

He suggested that success should increasingly be measured through outcomes such as viewing time, usage and active accounts, rather than simply the completion of projects or marketing campaigns.