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Rivals plan on-demand TV

27/11/2007

Rival broadcasters ITV, BBC Worldwide and Channel 4 are joining forces to launch a new video-on-demand service.

In a joint statement today the three TV companies, which currently operate their own separate on-demand services, said the new initiative would provide more than 10,000 hours of programmes.

The new three-way service, which has a working title of Kangaroo, will be launched next year and will initially be available online.

Users will be able to stream and download content from the web-based on-demand facility, with some programmes provided for free and others available to rent or buy.

TV fans will be able to both catch up on recently aired shows and watch archive material.

A name and brand for the joint venture, which will be owned equally by ITV, BBC Worldwide and Channel 4, will be unveiled before its launch.

The three broadcasters say the new on-demand service will act independently as an aggregator of content from both themselves and third party providers.

It is claimed the joint venture will provide a "seamless" experience for viewers and be an attractive proposition for advertisers, content rights owners and channel providers.

The new service will also build upon the experience of each broadcaster in providing on-demand content, with the BBC's iPlayer, ITV.com and 4oD already providing similar facilities.

Commenting on the plans, BBC Worldwide chief executive John Smith said: "This is a historic partnership between the UK's largest broadcasters.

"The new service will contain some of the very best of the UK's content for consumers to view in one place, which will be both easy to use and great fun."

ITV executive chairman Michael Grade added the joint venture had the potential to become "an important shop window for UK broadcaster content and a great destination for viewers".

Channel 4 chief executive Andy Duncan concluded: "We want to continue to build and innovate in this area, giving viewers ultimate control over what they watch and when they watch it, and believe that partnering and sharing expertise is the best way of doing this."

Plans for the new on-demand service are subject to formal approval from the BBC Trust and the boards of ITV and Channel 4.