BBC to expand iPlayer to Windows mobile devices

After recently reporting record-breaking iPlayer figures, the BBC has announced that it will be extending its video-on-demand platform to Microsoft Windows Phones 7.5 and 8.

Already available on over 650 different devices, the BBC’s catch-up TV service will expand to Microsoft Windows devices in the next few months, whereby users will be able to watch iPlayer via a live tile.

Cyrus Saihan, head of business development at BBC Future Media said: “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.”

He added: “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.”

The news comes not long after it was revealed that smartphones and tablets accounted for the BBC’s record breaking iPlayer figures in January 2013, with 44 million users requesting iPlayer content via smartphone devices – four times the number recorded for the previous year.

40 million of the population streamed iPlayer content via a tablet device, with iPad content request figures almost doubling between November 2012 and January 2013.

The move from the BBC demonstrates the increasing use of smartphones and tablets as a digital streaming platform, as well as the growing demand for easy accessibility for catch-up TV services.