BBC On Demand For Paid TV Providers

The BBC iPlayer could become available via pay-TV provider Sky for the first time following a call to loosen rules around the broadcaster’s catch up programming.
The BBC Trust today published revised guidelines regarding the BBC's on-demand syndication policy.
Provisional guidelines, released in January, said that BBC on-demand content should be made available only though three different standard versions of the iPlayer delivered over the web, unless the circumstances are exceptional.
However, following a public consultation, which included responses from pay-TV firms including BT, Sky and Virgin, the Trust conceded it should be more flexible and no longer prescribe how content is delivered by syndication partners.
"Licence fee payers should be able to find BBC on-demand content available on lots of different platforms, but this has to be done in a way that gives value for money and satisfies some basic principles to ensure that BBC content serves the public as it is meant to," said BBC Trust vice-chair Diane Coyle.
The ruling applies to a number of delivery platforms, such as cable, digital and satellite TV, mobile phones and games consoles.
(LB)