BBC iPlayer has enjoyed massive success post inception, with the service coming to most major games consoles, some televisions and of course the internet.
But in a landmark move the service is set to expand to other countries, and you may have read already that the service has already hit several EU countries before going across the Atlantic to the US. The newly updated iPad app includes either an ad-supported free version or a subscription plan for a moderate monthly fee.
It’s not clear how classic and current English shows will fare to an international audience, and whether they’ll be used just for entertainment or maybe will help non-Brits discover the language. What is clear though, is that cool cats from abroad can download shows and store them offline, quite possibly due to different copyright restrictions o ours at home allowing them to do so, in a similar way to Hulu being unavailable to UK users.
Analysts believe that the large American iPad user base will mean a success for the app when it finally hits America. Currently, Continental Europe has a limited number of iPad users, roughly 8 million, as the product has caught on less. The larger US user base will increase the chance of downloads being made, and with American fascination with some-things-British, the BBC could well be on the right track to making some money back after controversial spending cuts enforced by the Coalition Government.
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