Update 11/05/2017: The BBC has announced that all iPlayer users will need a login and password in the coming 'weeks'.
From today, the catch-up and live service will start prompting users they "will soon need to sign in to watch," The Guardian reports.
The deadline for being able to watch without signing in will arrive in the coming weeks – no exact date has been given – and the notification is indented as an early warning to those who may not know about the scheme.
Original story:
Everyone in the UK will need a BBC iPlayer account to use the on-demand service from early 2017, the broadcasting corporation has announced.
The public will need to sign up for an account, which has just been made “more robust and secure”, to access the TV streaming service, as well as BBC iPlayer Radio and BBC apps.
Despite the fact users will need to enter their postcode to create an account, and TV Licensing will have access to those details, the BBC claims the compulsory system will not be used “for enforcement purposes”. This could change in the future, it adds.
This is key. On September 1 it was announced that anyone using BBC iPlayer would need a TV license. Even the BBC’s own media correspondent, David Sillito, questioned the motive of announcing obligatory signups just weeks after a TV license was made necessary. He wrote: “Coming less than a month after the extension of the licence fee to the iPlayer, it's hard not to see this as just a way of encouraging people to pay up. The inclusion of a postcode as part of the new compulsory sign-up information certainly suggests it could be a way of alerting TV licensing to homes that currently don't have a licence but are watching the iPlayer.” Read more: 45 of the best Netflix series to binge watch right now
The BBC claims the move is part of an overhaul of the service designed to bring data-driven, personalised content to viewers, presumably in an effort to mimic the likes of Netflix in pushing specific content. As justification for the move, the BBC pointed to the fact that seven million people have registered for an account since 2015, 70 million viewers received personalised recommendations, and 22 million emails were sent to highlight personalised content. We’re not sure why the corporation would like to highlight the fact it plans to take up more room in your inbox, but it’s proving a point.
“I want everyone to get the very best from the BBC.” said Tony Hall, BBC Director-General. “By learning about what you want and like, we can take you to more of the great programmes you love, stories you might be interested in and content you might otherwise never have discovered. This is a real transformation - reinventing public service broadcasting for the digital age. Millions of people are already benefitting from this more personalised BBC, and by rolling it out for everyone no one will be left behind.”
Personalised services already available following a sign in include a “favourites” section as well as the ability to pause a programme and pickup where you left off later, as with services such as Netflix. A BBC ID can also deliver customised online news.
The announcement comes weeks after the government revealed anyone in the UK wanting to use BBC iPlayer from September 1 would need to pay £145.50 for a TV licence.
Previously, a license was only needed if you wanted to live stream TV, not use the extensive catchup service. The new measures do not impact other terrestrial broadcasters' digital platforms, like ITV Player or All4. The good news is that in the future, paying the license fee and having a login should mean users can watch on-demand services while abroad, without the need for a VPN. This was suggested in a white paper released in May, but there has been no confirmation.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
