ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ

ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide, the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s commercial arm, today confirmed that the global ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer App will launch in Finland, Sweden and Demark on Thursday October 13th 2011 - available exclusively on iPad from the App Store .

The global ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer is a unique Video On Demand pilot subscription service, which launched in 11 Western European markets in July and Australia in September.Β  From today, it will also offer viewers in Finland, Sweden and Denmark a greater opportunity to delve into an extensive archive of award-winning classic and contemporary British TV programming upon which the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s history and heritage is built. Subscription costs €6.99 a month (or €64.99 for an annual subscription) and viewers will be able to sample carefully selected content for free before subscribing.

The global ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer provides access to a range of brilliant English language ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ programmes across eight genres: News Specials & Documentaries; Entertainment; Drama; Comedy; Science & Nature; Family & Kids; Music & Culture and Lifestyle, drawn from its 70 year history of producing great television.Β 

It brings together iconic British comedies such as Fawlty Towers, Absolutely Fabulous and Only Fools & Horses with contemporary sitcoms and sketch shows including Gavin and Stacey and Little Britain. Viewers can also enjoy thrilling new drama series Whitechapel and Spooks, classic period dramas such as the much loved and quintessentially British Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth, recent episodes of the UK’s famous soap EastEnders, global motoring phenomenon Top Gear, the Doctor Who archive, stunning natural history programmes Blue Planet and Horizon, and the adorable children’s show Charlie & Lola.Β 

Around 100 hours of new programming will be added to the service each month (tbc), along with imaginatively themed collections curated from the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s extensive archive, including David Attenborough and the story of the Royal Family.

The global ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer will also give users a greater opportunity to access the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s music archive. A rich selection of the β€˜best of British’ music performances will be available to subscribers including captivating live shows by Paul McCartney, Oasis and Robbie Williams at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Electric Proms from 2007 – 2009, Blur – Live at Hyde Park and Dire Straits – Arena.

A weekly-updated ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ News Programme collection is also available to subscribers offering highly respected topical news shows that were broadcast the previous week on the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ News channels. Key titles include the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s flagship news and current affairs programme, Newsnight, noted for its in-depth analysis and robust cross-examination of senior politicians, as well as HARDTalk, Click (a popular technology magazine show covering news and developments in consumer technology), Fast Track and Talking Movies (a guide to the best in film, from the most recent Hollywood blockbusters to ground-breaking world cinema).Β 

Designed to be intuitive and easy-to-use, a key feature of the app allows subscribers both to stream and to download shows for offline viewing for when Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity is unavailable.Β  The stylish and simple interface enables users to build a personal library of shows as well as navigate the archive by genres and curated collections.

β€œThis unique Video On Demand product combines the classic with the contemporary and allows subscribers to mine [the best moments of/highlights from?] seventy years of brilliant ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ programmes, wherever and whenever they want,” said Jana Bennett, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide President of Worldwide Networks and Global iPlayer. Β 

β€œWe launched the global ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer because we think there’s an untapped market for the β€˜best of British’ shows, both for Brits living abroad and for all those people we know have a love of great British television.”

Matthew Littleford, General Manager for Global iPlayer said: β€œWe’re proud to be one of the first international broadcasters to give access to our shows in a perfectly packaged app. Reviews of the app have been overwhelmingly positive since its launch in 11 other Western European countries and in Australia earlier this year.”

β€œThe extension into Finland, Sweden and Denmark is an important step in our strategy of pursuing multiple platforms for our programmes and brands, taking British programmes to new digital audiences around the world in an innovative, creative and easily accessible format. During this pilot phase we have an exciting vision for what this service could become and will develop it based on feedback from within all markets.”

The global ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer App is now available to download for free from the App Store on iPad at .

The global version of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer app launched today is an extension of a pilot phase for the service. It became available in Australia in September 2011, following the launch to 11 markets in Western Europe in July 2011.

Tessa Matchett