The BBC says the idea would create a streaming platform with the ability to compete with global streamers.
- Echoes of failed bid to create joint service two decades ago
- BBC could become gatekeeper to public service content via a single app
- Separation rather than collaboration with global streamers?
The corporation has published its opinions on what should change over the course of the next 10 year Royal Charter, starting in 2028. The publication forms its response to the Government consultation on Charter Renewal, which closes on 10th March.
The BBC has ruled out wanting to carry advertisements or subscriptions – but could begin to show ad-supported and subscription-funded content from ITV, Channel 4 and other public broadcasters on the iPlayer, if it gets its way. Welsh broadcaster S4C is already pushing for approval to include adverts on the iPlayer version of its live stream.
It’s floated an idea to open up the iPlayer to other public service broadcasters. The plan would allow viewers to search and stream content without needing to sign in to various apps. By creating a vast content library, it hopes to create a destination that can finally compete with Netflix. It’s also offered to open up its audio streaming service BBC Sounds to third-parties.
The BBC iPlayer launched in 2007, five years before Netflix started streaming in the UK. It has been rapidly overtaken by Netflix and is increasingly being overtaken by YouTube, according to some metrics.
Haven’t we been here before?
The proposals echo plans for Project Kangaroo in 2008, when the main public broadcasters wanted to bring together video-on-demand content on one platform. The proposals were vetoed by regulators following backlash from rivals including Sky.
The idea never fully went away, resurfacing briefly in 2018, this time with renewed focus on creating a stronger rival to Netflix.
As in 2018, the current set of proposals won’t necessarily be welcomed by commercial public broadcasters with open arms. Since 2018, all broadcasters have ploughed millions into developing their own services. ITV could yet end up under the control of Sky’s owner Comcast, which would put ITVX at risk of being absorbed into a Sky streaming app.
Channel 4 has also invested heavily. Over the winter, it’s begun to integrate third-party content on its app. Notably, this includes content from U – the streaming service operated by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC.
5 relaunched its streaming app last year, but owner Paramount may yet decide to incorporate more of 5’s content into its own all-in-one streaming platform, which looks set to absorb HBO Max and Discovery+, as it seeks efficiencies and cost-savings.
Walled garden
The proposal would make the BBC a gatekeeper for public service content in the streaming era. That would allow the corporation to maintain its long‑standing influence over public service broadcasting. For decades, the BBC has been the dominant shareholder in the country’s free‑to‑air platforms, with its policies, preferences and personnel shaping how those services run.
The plan also responds to a persistent problem: broadcasters have struggled to persuade viewers to download and sign in to their individual, “walled‑garden” streaming apps.
ITV and Channel 4 have adapted by expanding on YouTube, meeting younger audiences where they already are. Channel 4 has also redesigned its streaming offer to give reluctant app‑downloaders an app‑like experience in a browser. The BBC has now followed others down the YouTube path, developing more content to appear on the platform.
Meanwhile, global streaming is dominated by Netflix and other US‑based giants that have built vast all‑in‑one platforms. Their services combine huge libraries—often the product of recent media mergers—with live channels and premium content.
Across the Channel, France’s major broadcasters have taken a different approach to the same threat. TF1, the country’s biggest commercial network, has joined forces with Netflix. Meanwhile, France’s public broadcaster has struck a deal with Amazon Prime Video. If you can’t beat the global streamers, join them.
Elsewhere in its response to the consultation, the BBC called for the licence fee to be retained, though reformed. Ministers have previously ruled out a universal household levy similar to those used in other countries.
By: Marc Thornham