BBC To Launch New Streaming Service For UK Kids, Young Teens

The BBC has some big plans for getting into the family entertainment streaming industry. The British broadcaster and media giant will launch a new streaming video-on-demand service for kids and young teens, tentatively dubbed iPlay.

BBC’s iPlay will be a family-friendly version of the broadcaster’s current iPlayer streaming service. The iPlay platform will host content from BBC’s large library of programming, as well as its related channels like CBeebies and CBBC. Alice Webb, Director of BBC Children, told StreamDaily iPlay will also support learning through content like podcasts and blogs.

Later on, the service will likely work with outside companies to develop even more content like interactive games and feature-length films. Webb said the BBC also has plans to feature live events on iPlay. The broadcaster will even add new teen content to the streaming service, aimed at helping 12- to 15-year-olds understand topics like news and current events as they transition into adulthood.

“We know that, while TV is still important, content no longer has to go hand in hand with the big screen in the corner,” Webb explained. “So we’ll take our great ideas and develop them in new ways to reach, inspire, and entertain children wherever they are, whenever they want it.” Overall, Webb noted BBC’s goal with iPlay is to turn the service into a one-stop shop for all things family-related the BBC and its content partners have to offer.

The BBC, while it’s no stranger to online video, has been working hard the last year or so to bring more of its content online and to a more global audience. The British media conglomerate recently decided to shut down its BBC Three linear channel and move it to online-only to save on costs and also to reach more digitally-minded millennials. BBC is also introducing Americans to the breadth of its content by launching its own streaming service, set to arrive some time in 2016.