The BBC has this week launched its global iPlayer application for the popular Apple iPad device in eleven countries. The BBC iPlayer Global app will enable international viewers in these countries to enjoy the UK broadcaster’s content on their iPad tablet PCs. Available now on the iTunes store, the app brings what is described as a “curated” range of BBC content to fortunate residents in these eleven territories that have been selected for the initial rollout.
 |
| BBC iPlayer Global app on Apple iPad |
The BBC iPlayer Global iPad app has not yet been made available in the USA, as the regions that have been included in this first round of release are all from Western Europe. These countries are France, Austria, Italy, the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Portugal.
The international version of BBC iPlayer application for iPad will cost nothing to download. However, those who actually want to use it to view BBC content will have to cough up €6.99 per month, or €49.99 for an annual subscription. The organisation intends to stagger the release of the app, hoping to make it available in Australia, Canada and the United States by the end of this year.
Unlike some of the other video apps designed for the Apple iPad, the BBC iPlayer (Global) app will allow streaming of TV programmes over both WiFi and 3G connections. Users will also be able to enjoy the convenience of downloading shows and then watching them offline afterwards. The Beeb has been working closely with technology powerhouse Apple – manufacturer of the iPad – on this project.
A team of BBC editors will decide on the shows that will be made available via the app, which unfortunately means that international viewers will only have access to a limited amount of BBC material. The British public service broadcaster said that the BBC iPlayer Global app is not intended to be a catch-up TV service like the iPlayer application in the United Kingdom, but more a video-on-demand (VoD) service.
When you expand the service to more countries please, please make it available in Taiwan, thanks.
I live in the UK and only heard about this yesterday. It sounds great, ability to download, access to some of the best shows ever produced by the BBC and streaming over 3G.
What a shame then, that those of us in the UK will not be allowed these brilliant services. It appears that even though we have payed for the development, and implementation of them through our TV licensing fee, we are to be satisfied with the ridiculously limited service provided Despite several hundred requests that I could see on the Apple App Stores own Ratings page for a download and 3G service.
You may all thank me for my monetary contribution to development of these services with a big X.
I am in Spain and cannot find BBC global inlayer app either in the AppStore or iTunes store, where is the app located and under what name
@Barnaby as a British ex-pat living in Ireland, I confess I feel your pain. The service is fantastic, it is just exactly what the iPad was designed to do. I would be peeved too, except that for this content which represents less than 1% of the BBC’s output, has cost me €49.99 for the annual subscription, which I happily paid. In effect, this device will allow the BBC to gain income from overseas to fund the BBC’s current production costs, and, once they have been shown to British viewers, a few months later they’ll be put up for secondary purchase by others.
This is exceptionally logical from the BBC, sound business and generates funds which will hopefully allow the Licence Fee in the UK to be cut, as it should be.
Where the he’ll is the app? It was released 3 days ago yet there is nothing on iTunes. Not much use if you cannot download the app, and this sites not much use as I am the second person to ask the same question!
WHERE IS IT. ,
@Roggendorff & Mark Furnival: It seems that you will have to log into your Spanish (or any eligible countries) Appstore account instead of your UK account for the BBC iPlayer Global app to be visible.
Warmest regards
Vincent
While the app works great when streaming videos, the download function is still plagued by bugs… Yes, you can download programmes, but as soon as your internet connection (wifi or 3G) is interrupted, even for a few seconds, all previously downloaded content immediately disappears. So the convenience of downloading shows and then watching them offline afterwards does not yet seem to exist.
Yes, where is it?
I am in Spain and cannot find this app in the Spanish iTunes store or the English one. Any more ideas on how to locate it?
you can get the spanish one here
http://itunes.apple.com/es/app/bbc-iplayer-global/id449130604?mt=8
if you want to get it from another country change the ‘es’ to whichever country code you require
No if you are in Spain and have a UK account with iTunes it DOES NOT WORK, in fact NOTHING WORKS and it’s a complete waste of time! I’ve managed to find a FACEBOOK PAGE FOR BBC GLOBAL IPLAYER HERE AND POSTED MY THOUGHTS THERE – PLEASE DO THE SAME. It seems they have no idea what they’re doing or the market they’re catering for.. we need to SHOUT our difficulties https://www.facebook.com/pages/BBC-iPlayer-Global/181707558557834?sk=wall
Please make BBC IPlayer available on Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean (one island over from Curacao and Aruba).
Thanks!
I live in new Zealand and have hired an IP address to view BBC content for years.
They move with gmt dpt speed but will hopefully get it right in the end.
Like an old horder inviting us up to the attic.
Overall a fntastic service and of huge benefit to me moving between 3 countries all the time.
It is plagued by bugs, especially when you go off line or move from one WIFI to another. Downloads can just vanish or the App simply will not launch (possibly caused by too many apps loaded on the IPAD by my children!).
I do remember the Iplayer for PC/MAC was bug ridden at the start. It then worked well after a few months…until the BBC geo locked it.
@Barnaby
Just to set your mind at rest, this app is funded by BBC Worldwide not the BBC, BBC Worldwide is the commercial arm and does not have access to licence fee money. However, I also find it frustrating that we can not access this service.
Please, please, please make this available in Australia!
Impossible to get in Italy. What a waste of time, I was so excited by the possibility of signing up, but can’t find the app anywhere.
I wish it was available in Australia and on PC and Laptop.
Have tried all the suggestions but still unable to find the link in France. No BBC helpline. Supposebit is back to the sling box .
I was very happy with the iPad app. Paid one year subscription with a smile. Watched a couple of shows.
Then downloaded a whole series to watch off line during holiday in France.
The first day : everything ok.
Second day : all my downloads vanished.
Not very happy right now.
Are they having a larf how do I receive this on my iPad in Spain
Im guessing that the app is only available via the itunes store of the country you wish to view from, which is a shame. I live in germany but have a uk itunes account, which i would be happy to use to paythe subscription fee. howeve, it seems i will need a german itunes account to access this service which is a pain. Come on auntie, sort it out
I too live in Spain and am unable to download app.Have tried speaking with Apple and they just say it is an issue to take up with the BBC? running out of ideas now!!!
The app cannot be downloaded by using a UK iTunes account, you must hold an account in one of the regions that the app is available.
There are ways and means to set up an account in a different iTunes store, perfectly searchable online. I live in Hong Kong and would love to be able to get my hands on this but sadly not available here.
Same problem as the others, a response would be nice. So why can’t a UK subscriber download the iPlayer Global – seems like it is only on the US App Store? After all I already pay my TV licence fee!!
I am an English expat in Spain. Having been tempted by the BBC promo for the Global IPlayer, I went out and purchased an iPad. Unfortunately the BBC have made it impossible to download the app if you are registered as an English user. If you download the normal version, it does not of course work in Spain., but where is the Global app on the UK iTunes site? Well it is not there because you must go to the Spanish App store to purchase it. But that is not possible because whenever you default to the Spanish iTunes site and try to log on to the App store it automatically defaults to the UK store! Even the link on the BBC News website is no help. Whilst it recognises that you are not in UK and offers you the Global edition, on trying to download, again it defaults to the UK store! Now I did once manage to get onto the Spanish site via my laptop and tried to download it, but then I had to change my registration details and it then asked for details of a Spanish registered credit card, which I do not possess. I have been in touch with the iPlayer dept of the BBC on several occasions via email. However I get the impression that they are not interested at all in my problem. My last email asking to be put in touch with someone else, further up, has resulted in no response. So if you are planning to bring your iPad on holiday with you, then don’t expect to get the iPlayer, because you will not be able to. The solution is simple, all the BBC need to do is make it available on the UK store, but for reasons best known to themselves, or stupidity, they will not do it!!!
I am also a UK license payer, but that seems totally irellevant to the BBC. Let’s hope if enough folk complain they might do something. Regards.
@D Cole & @Ben Archibold,
Don’t get me wrong guys,a global App for BBCi Player on iPad can only be a good thing in the long run……for the BBC. I mean, BBC world wide or not,the programmes that will be made available on Global iPlayer were made using UK residents tv tax money, shows such as ‘Only fools and horses’, Blackadder’, Fawlty towers’.
These are shows that we in UK have already payed for and SHOULD be made available to us on the uk iPlayer!!
I don’t mean to sound petty,but if it wasn’t for the money that we have to pay to the BBC to even own a Tv in the UK,the great shows I’ve already mentioned would probably never have even been given a chance. I think,as we have already paid for them once!,we should have access to them at ANY time. Surely being forced to pay a licence fee should give us at least SOME perks :-) .
iove this program