BBC to share online video content with newspapers

The BBC has signed a new partnership deal with four leading newspapers to share its online video news content for the first time.

The Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Independent and Daily Mail will now be able to feature certain BBC videos on their websites to supplement their own news material.

Each newspaper will have access to video material, which has already been generated for the BBC and published on its site, from four key news areas including UK politics, business, health and science and technology.

Mark Byford, BBC deputy director general, said: “The BBC set out its intention to open up access to BBC news content as part of the Digital Britain process.

“We regard this initiative as a core part of the BBC working more effectively as a public service partner, with other media organisations utilising BBC news content.

“The way the public is consuming audio and video online is changing. Audiences are increasingly expecting news content to be available wherever they are, rather than always having to navigate to destination sites. We hope this wider distribution will extend audience reach to BBC content.

“However, we are only providing material already produced on the BBC’s news website and restricted to certain core public service genres.”

Guy Ruddle, head of visuals at the Telegraph Media Group, added: “The Telegraph is delighted that the BBC will be allowing us and other media organisations to embed some of its clips on our websites. We have been waiting for the BBC to start sharing its content with us and this is definitely a step in the right direction in promoting partnerships.”

The corporation also unveiled plans to make the same video news content available to other UK-based news websites in the future via a “phased approach”.

The BBC’s latest announcement follows on from a string of partnership initiatives with commercial media companies, including sharing iPlayer technology and striking a local news resource deal with rival broadcaster ITV.

The parterships follow the publication of the government’s Digital Britain report, which proposed top-slicing the corporation’s licence fee to help support other public service broadcasters.