iPlayer on Xbox 360 indefinitely delayed

Posted on 30 Nov 2009 at 10:08

Xbox 360 owners hoping for iPlayer to arrive shouldn't hold their breath, as a rather hefty problem has reared its head.

The big issue is that the BBC's public service remit means that the corporation has to offer its services for free, as they're paid for by the licence fee. However, Microsoft insists on charging for every service it offers on the Xbox 360, scuppering any chance of a deal.

"Microsoft only wants to offer its users access to platforms it can charge for as this is the model it is pursuing," said a BBC insider. "It wants to ensure that only those paying for Xbox Live Gold accounts can access its additional content services and even then there is usually a charge on top to get access to those. For example, to access the Sky Player on Xbox, you have to pay for a Gold subscription as well as a Sky subscription."

The upshot is that iPlayer can't be released on Xbox until Microsoft decides to allow access for free. It's a disappointing state, as both Wii and PlayStation 3 owners can get iPlayer, while Xbox owners are currently restricted to the subscription-only Sky Player.

Author: David Ludlow

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