Andre Yoskowitz
3 Mar 2011 16:27
According to BBC iPlayer director general Mark Thompson, the international iPlayer app for the iPad and other devices is "definitely coming this year" and will cost under $10 per month for a subscription.
Says Thompson, the app will cost "a small number of dollars per month, definitely fewer than 10." He also added that "we're exploring internationally what the right pricing and models are ... the most important thing is the consumer pricing is right."
When asked if the international launch will affect BBC Worldwide's current business model, Thompson said the company was following the Hollywood studios in "looking at a series of windows for TV shows to optimise value across that lifecycle".
Most international rights windows for TV shows mean they hit DVD and PPV first, followed by free-to-air TV and online VOD.
The iPlayer has become synonymous with streaming TV in the UK, and Thompson says 162 million programs were downloaded via the iPlayer in the UK in January, alone, an average of six per household.
Additionally, the boss says, unsurprisingly, that "the greatest month-on-month growth now is not on PCs or cable TVs but on iPads, iPhones, other smartphones and games consoles."