In 2006, the BBC embraced the online media revolution with the trial and release of their iPlayer platform. For those in the UK, this programme offered a chance to catch the best of British television at any time of the day or night following broadcast.
The BBC are now said to be involved in detailed talks over a partnership with Google, to extend their range of programming and offer a branded, dedicated 'channel' for BBC broadcasting.
This new partnership is set to open a range of possibilities in terms of commercial funding of online content, primarily in the shape of contextual advertising that would display alongside the BBC branded content. The BBC and BBC Worldwide executives are analysing options that may pave the way for advertising agreements, something that the BBC, a publicly funded company, has resisted in its entire terrestrial broadcasting history.
It is expected that the BBC will take advantage of the Google Video platform as a showcase for content on dedicated YouTube channels, alongside other broadcasters. Google Video itself has grown in the last year or so and is now firmly established in Europe with a total of eight distinct implementations.
Google have already secured deals with the likes of ITN, IMG Media and even the Sundance Film Festival to deliver content via their video sharing platforms. YouTube has also established successful partnerships with American broadcasting networks such as CBS and ABC, and were, at one point, rumoured to be investigating the expansion of their two core media sharing sites with dedicated media centers in the vein of the Apple TV. A few questions are being raised as to the distinction between the two video sharing platforms, with some broadcasting giants preferring the cult success of YouTube over the relatively corporate feel of Google Video. Google are said to be taking steps to resolve the running of two separate brands and essentially competing services.
Some analysts argue that it is through the video sharing phenomenon that Google will break out into Google or YouTube branded hardware, as this is a means by which users can access free and pay-per-view content that the BBC wish to exploit.
Most intriguing is the possibility of BBC content via the US version of Google Video, which has more advanced features, such as pay-per-view and pay-per-download options. The success of British programming on BBC America and BBC Canada has proven instrumental in the creation of the US spin off series of The Office, and it appears a logical move to take advantage of an already established fan base in order to entice new viewers via pay-per-view online delivery and tailored commercial advertising.
The BBC's on demand plans have already received criticism by Ofcom, particularly for their own bespoke iPlayer software that could have an unfair and negative effect on commercial rivals. It would be hard tfor Ofcom to maintain this stance when considering an open partnership with the likes of Google and YouTube, as the platforms are already awash with broadcaster produced content. Indeed, in the UK, Channel 4 have been levying heavy advertising weight for their 4onDemand service which, in a similar move to the BBC, is designed to deliver programming online and via cable TV.
The announcement between the BBC and Google is predicted to coincide with a visit by the Google Chief Executive, Eric Schmidt, to the World Economic Forum in Davros, Switzerland.
