Advanced Television

BBC Mac friendly, Cloud deal

October 17, 2007

The BBC and Adobe Systems have revealed a strategic relationship around the delivery of web video. By adopting the Adobe Flash Player software, the BBC will make its free catch-up TV service – BBC iPlayer – available as a streaming service across Macintosh and Linux, as well as Windows, by the end of year.

The BBC iPlayer on-demand streaming service will complement the download service currently available. This non-exclusive relationship is part of the BBC's strategy to reinvent bbc.co.uk, to ensure all its media content is accessible to the widest audience possible.

BBC iPlayer will have its consumer marketing launch at Christmas when it will offer downloading and streaming services, as well as radio. The service currently enables viewers to download and view around 400 hours of television programmes from the last seven days and store for up to 30 days.

Additionally – The BBC has signed a deal with wi-fi operator The Cloud to allow its services to be available free-of-charge at more than 7,500 hotspots across the UK. Among Corporation services to be made accessible are downloads of programmes via the iPlayer, and the BBC News website. The Cloud has deals with McDonald’s, Coffee Republic and BAA Airports among others.

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