The BBC is set to launch its iPlayer services for the iPad in Europe on Thursday, bringing on-demand playback of BBC content to 11 additional countries. The U.S., however, will have to wait until later this year to get in on Auntie’s programming on the go.
iPlayer moves into Europe
The iPlayer lets users watch BBC shows on their iPad, and previously was available only to U.K. residents. The expansion, according to the BBC, will bring the country’s shows to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.
The broadcaster is looking at the limited rollout as a test program, and plans to add support for more countries over time, including the United States later this year.
“We have an exciting vision for what this service could become and will develop it based on feedback from within the markets,” commented Jana Bennett, the BBC’s president of Worldwide networks and global iPlayer.
Subscriptions will cost viewers €6.99 a month, or €49.99 a year, and includes the ability to download shows to watch when an Internet connection isn’t otherwise available — a feature that isn’t available in the U.K. The International service will also include a variety of old and new shows such as Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Fawlty Towers.
The BBC iPlayer app is available as a free download at Apple’s iTunes-based App Store.