The BBC has announced plans to update its on-demand television service, more commonly known as iPlayer, to include new online shows targeted at its BBC3 audience.
These plans come following the broadcaster’s announcement to move its BBC3 channel completely online – a decision which has come under heavy fire from the channel’s audience. Around 200,000 viewers – who are mostly aged between 16 and 34 – signed an online petition in opposition of the move.
Danny Cohen, the director of BBC Television, has stated that the modifications to BBC3 would go ahead if approved by the BBC Trust, despite the petition.
The new service will have a completely revamped design with additional features, including programme recommendations, as it is believed that approximately 42% of users visit the iPlayer without a programme they would like to watch in mind – a number that is growing. The website marketing strategy is expected to resemble something similar to Netflix and other instant streaming online services, reflecting the growing traffic to the site through mobile devices such as tablets.
The BBC has also announced that the new look iPlayer will also play host to exclusive comedy material from some of the industry’s top names, including Frankie Boyle and Micky Flanagan. Adam Curtis, a film maker working on three projects for the service, has backed the move, claiming that it will “allow stories to become more emotionally involving” because it would eliminate the traditional TV scheduling, meaning viewers can watch shows all together rather than timetabled weekly segments.
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