iplayerThe BBC's worldwide edition of its iPlayer app is coming to iPhone and iPod Touch. The iPlayer worldwide edition -- which is distinct from the UK version -- is currently available in 16 territories, mostly western Europe, Australia and Canada.

iPlayer Worldwide [Direct Link] doesn't have the Live-TV, DVR and TV catch-up features that the British version does -- instead, it's a video-on-demand subscription service that gives access to selected portions of the BBC archive.

From The Next Web:

The global iPlayer app will be made available on iPhone and iPod Touch from this Thursday (8th December), and will reach millions more viewers in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

“The global BBC iPlayer has seen great growth since the pilot first launched in July – both in terms of geographical expansion and technological developments”, says John Smith, Chief Executive of BBC Worldwid. “Moving to iPhone and iPod Touch allows us to take the service to a significant new potential audience and deliver fantastic programme content from the BBC and the UK’s creative industry.”

There is no indication on when iPlayer will make its way to the States, but the iPod and iPhone version of iPlayer Worldwide [iTunes Direct Link] arrives Thursday December 8th.

Top Rated Comments

Laird Knox Avatar
177 months ago
D'oh! For a second, I thought I'd able to catch the end of Life's Too Short when I'm France over Christmas.

Boo.

That's OK, you'll probably be too busy being France to watch it anyway. :p ;)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Big Kahuna Avatar
177 months ago
There is no indication on when iPlayer will make its way to the States

Is this some sort of payback for that whole Revolutionary War thing? Crikey. :(
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rmwebs Avatar
177 months ago
What sucks is that us UK users dont get access to any form of back catalogue or older episodes. Its a case of what was on in the last 7 days, and even then they screw that up half the time.

Plus no iPhone app and a poor iPad app.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WeegieMac Avatar
177 months ago
How about the BBC gets it's finger out it's arse and brings back the iPhone version of the basic BBC iPlayer app in the UK. I'm using a web shortcut on my home screen to access the iPlayer site, but I'd like a dedicated app.

Come on, I pay £36 per quarter (grudgingly) for your ****** service as it is, so at least make the iPad app universal for UK iPhone users.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RedTomato Avatar
177 months ago
I'm still waiting for them to enable subtitles on the iPhone version of the iPlayer website.

The exact same programe on the iplayer website is able to display subtitles when viewed on the iPad - but not when viewed via the iPhone. How come? The software stack is almost the same, the subtitle files are all there and ready.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFan23 Avatar
177 months ago
What sucks is that us UK users dont get access to any form of back catalogue or older episodes. Its a case of what was on in the last 7 days, and even then they screw that up half the time.

Plus no iPhone app and a poor iPad app.

Plus we don't even get the AirPlay functionality on the iPad app, where the international version does.

Not sure why I'm still paying my TV license really as I only ever watch pre recorded shows online nowadays.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 21, 2025 2:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices from credible sources. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X...
iPhone 16 Battery Life Feature

iOS 26's New Battery Life Mode Available Only on These iPhone Models

Saturday June 21, 2025 9:02 am PDT by
Last week, we reported that iOS 26 introduces an opt-in Adaptive Power Mode on the iPhone, alongside the existing Low Power Mode. Apple says that Adaptive Power Mode can make "small performance adjustments" when necessary to extend an iPhone's battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness or allowing some activities to "take a little longer." The full description of...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

iPhone Reportedly Moving to All-Screen Design in Two Stages

Sunday June 22, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
Apple has long been working towards an iPhone with an all-screen design, and it might finally achieve the feat in a few more years from now. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple will shrink the size of the Dynamic Island on new iPhone models released next year. A year after that, he expects Apple to release a redesigned 20th-anniversary iPhone model....
ios 26 control center b2

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 2

Monday June 23, 2025 2:57 pm PDT by
Apple provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26, introducing the first changes and refinements to the new operating system since it debuted after the WWDC keynote. Because we're early in the beta testing process, there are quite a few tweaks to iOS 26, which we've rounded up below. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Control Center The background behind the...
ios 26 control center b2

iOS 26 Beta 2 Fixes Control Center Design

Monday June 23, 2025 10:58 am PDT by
With the second beta of iOS 26 that Apple provided to developers today, Apple addressed one of the major complaints that people have had with Liquid Glass. iOS 26 beta 1 on left, iOS 26 beta 2 on right The Control Center buttons are now slightly more opaque, making it easier to see the different control options even on a multicolored background. The new, more opaque look is apparent with the ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro's Alleged Vapor Chamber Cooling System Partly Revealed

Sunday June 22, 2025 6:37 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models are rumored to be equipped with a vapor chamber cooling system, and a leaker known as Majin Bu today shared a photo of an alleged copper thermal plate for the system. Many high-end Android smartphones like Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra are equipped with a vapor chamber cooling system, which can manage heat dissipation inside the...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

watchOS 26 Adding a Smaller Yet Useful New Watch Face Setting

Monday June 23, 2025 9:39 am PDT by
watchOS 26 is adding a new "Show Data When Locked" setting to the Apple Watch. MacRumors contributor Steve Moser discovered the new setting within the code for the first watchOS 26 beta, and a Reddit user has seemingly found it in action, but we have yet to figure out where it is exactly. Leave a comment if you know. The new privacy setting allows you to toggle on or off the ability to...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adding Two New Wi-Fi Features, Allows AirDrop and AirPlay Alternatives

Saturday June 21, 2025 7:02 am PDT by
iOS 26 is gaining two new Wi-Fi features, including Captive Assist and Wi-Fi Aware. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris discovered a reference to Captive Assist within the code for the first iOS 26 developer beta, but Apple has yet to enable the feature. It should be available by the time the software update is released later this year. In his Power On newsletter last month, Bloomberg's...