ITV’s Online Portal Is Go

ITV.com is to be relaunched on Tuesday, making its channels available to watch online for the first time following a £20 million investment.

The revamp will include online simulcasts of ITV1, ITV2 and ITV3 programmes, although only a selection of ITV4 programs will be available due to rights issues covering its content.

ITV is rolling out its programming in stages, with high-rating soaps like Coronation Street and Emmerdale receiving the initial push.

“Each section is almost a website in its own right so a staged rollout is the best way to manage the launch,” said Annelies van de Belt, MD of ITV Broadband. “We have learned lessons from what has happened in the market trying to launch everything at once.”

The 30-day catch-up service and programme archive (see ITV Invests £20m To Get Its Channels Online) will be rolled out on a weekly basis , and should be completed by 31 July.

Once the service has been established, ITV will shut down the old ITV.com site and embark on a major marketing push to promote its new site.

ITV’s media player is set to challenge BBC’s iPlayer, which recently received approval from the corporation’s Trust (see BBC Trust Gives iPlayer Final Approval).

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com