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BBC's Director-General confirms instant video on-demand store is coming
Just last week, rumors regarding the BBC's purported iTunes competitor were making the rounds. Now, thanks to Director-General Mark Thompson, we can confirm that it is indeed in the works. Currently known around the British offices as "Project Barcelona," the service is expected to be an à la carte media offering, allowing you to "purchase a digital copy of a program to own and keep for a relatively modest charge." Speaking of which, movies, TV shows and specials are expected to start at £1.89 and may be available minutes after they're broadcast on TV, though we've yet to hear an official word on pricing. The Broadcasting Corporation chief went on to say this isn't "a second license-fee by stealth or any reduction in the current public service offering from the BBC, it's the exact analogy of going into a high-street shop to buy a DVD." He didn't, however, give any deets on when we can expect the service to launch.
Is the BBC the next contestant in the quest to take on iTunes?
PaidContent is claiming the BBC has some pretty advanced plans to launch a video market, one meant to compete directly with the iTunes of the world. According to its source, the British Broadcasting Corporation plans to offer its vast back catalog of movies, TV shows and specials as £1.89 downloads. Though much of its newer material is already licensed through BBC Worldwide, older content is not. The idea is to make all of that material available digitally and through its own branded service. The public broadcaster even plans to offer producers a larger chunk of the profits (roughly £0.40 per episode) in an effort to get a leg up on its potential competitors. Of course, these plans could still collapse if negotiations with independent producers fall through. Or, the plans could be less grand and far more preliminary than we've been led to believe. Still, don't be shocked it the iPlayer starts telling you to buy old episodes for a couple of quid in the next few months.
