The BBC has struck a deal with Microsoft to bring the BBC iPlayer to the Windows Phone platform, albeit not quite in a full app format.
The broadcaster announced that the BBC iPlayer will be coming to Windows devices running Windows Phone 7.5 or Windows Phone 8 OS through a shortcut application within the Windows Phone Store. The shortcut will then become a coloured Live Tile on the Windows Phone homepage, leading directly to the iPlayer online TV catch-up service, rather than a self-contained dedicated app.
“Today I can let you know that we have signed a deal with Microsoft that will enable us to bring BBC iPlayer to the Windows Phone platform,” said Cyrus Saihan, Head of Business Development at BBC Future Media.
“We will be releasing a shortcut to the BBC iPlayer in the near future which will be available in the Windows Phone Store, enabling the BBC iPlayer website to work on Windows Phone 7.5 and 8 via a live tile.”
BBC iPlayer is already available on the iOS, Android and BlackBerry platforms, but with the Microsoft deal, devices like the Nokia Lumia 800, HTC 8S, Nokia Lumia 620 and the HTC Titan will soon get access to the catch-up service.
“Our latest figures show that over 650 different device types can access BBC iPlayer. Working with the industry in ways like this helps our digital services reach more of the UK’s online population and gives our audiences ever increasing ways to access BBC services,” commented Saihan.
As with the Android version of the BBC iPlayer, the Windows Phone edition requires the dedicated BBC Media Player software to run, but the Windows Phone Store download should wrap the two together, according to Saihan.
Joining other big name apps like Spotify, Facebook, Dropbox and Netflix, BBC iPlayer will help to improve the Windows Phone Store, currently a long way behind the well-established Android Google Play Store or the Apple iOS App Store.
BBC iPlayer will launch on Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows Phone 8 sometime “in the coming months”.
What other apps would you like to see in the Windows Phone Store? Does the lack of apps put you off the Windows Phone handsets? Let us know via the Trusted Reviews Facebook and Twitter feeds or the comment boxes below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
