BBC iPlayer app to launch outside UK this year, Western Europe first

BBC's iPlayer is set to begin the first phase of its global rollout later this summer, according to The Guardian. The first phase of the rollout will target Western European countries and cost subscribers around €7 (US$10) a month, though the exact price is yet to be decided. Last December we told you that a subscription-based iPlayer was coming to US markets. That is still happening, but the BBC is first using a Western European rollout to make sure it gets the service right before expanding it to other countries. There is no firm date on the US launch yet.

BBC's iPlayer is an online "catch up" service in the UK that allows anyone in the country to view streaming video of the shows that aired on the BBC in the last week. The subscription-based BBC iPlayer will be different, however. It will not be a "catch up" service. Instead it will offer viewers "collections of programmes covering genres such as music, comedy, documentaries and natural history," according to The Guardian. Shows like Doctor Who and Fawlty Towers will be available to watch, but other popular shows like the soap EastEnders probably won't be available. It's also possible viewers will be able to watch past mini-series like How TV Ruined Your Life, also known as the most important television show in the history of mankind.