BBC puts iPlayer on Wii as row with ISPs hots up

 

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Posted on 9 Apr 2008 at 15:14

The BBC has struck a deal that will put its iPlayer TV catch-up service on Nintendo's Wii games console.

The deal will put iPlayer on TV sets for the first time, along with computers and the iPhone and iPod touch. Wii users will be able to stream programmes over the console's internet connection, but not download them.

"It was important for us to get the iPlayer into the living room," said Erik Huggers, the BBC's group controller for future media and technology. "The Wii offered a great way to do that."

The latest BBC figures show that iPlayer usage is growing at around 25% each month, topping more than 550,000 programme requests on average March day. The Apprentice has proved the most popular programme.

Nintendo has sold some 2.5 million Wii consoles in the UK, around 40% of which are connected to the net. So today's news will further concern ISPs worried about the rising bandwidth costs of delivering video content.

ISPs have reported that costs have trebled and now Simon Gunter, head of strategy for Tiscali, has called for the BBC to share some of the financial burden.

"The question is about whether we invest in extra capacity or go to the consumer and ask them to pay a BBC tax," he said, adding that the BBC does not understand the issues involved.

But Ashley Highfield, the BBC's director of Future Media & Technology disagreed.

"The success of the iPlayer should be of benefit to the whole UK broadband industry, increasing those who want to take up broadband," he said.

Highfield recently told ISPs to charge broadband users more for high-bandwidth services, and warned them not to choke service such as iPlayer or content providers may retaliate.

Gunter said that it is a "bit rich" for a publicly funded body to tell private companies how to run their business.

Author: Simon Aughton