During his keynote speech at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, BBC Director General Mark Thompson announced plans to launch an international version of BBC iPlayer within a year.

Thompson said: “Within a year we aim to launch an international commercial version of the iPlayer, we also want to find a way of letting UK licence fee payers and servicemen and women use the UK iPlayer wherever they are in the world.

“Today, in head-to-head competition with the biggest American players, the BBC is a top ten provider of programmes in the TV section of iTunes,” he said.

“The download market is not that big yet – but think of it as a test-case of underlying US consumer demand for the best of what British TV can come up with. At the BBC, we want to rise to the challenge.  Within a year we aim to launch an international commercial version of the iPlayer.

“Subject to Trust approval, we also want to find a way of letting UK licence payers and servicemen and women use a version of the UK public service iPlayer wherever they are in the world.”

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