BBC iPlayer goes global with Western European launch

The BBC iPlayer is now available outside the UK for the first time as a trial launches in Western Europe.

Initially available only on the Apple iPad, the BBC iPlayer app will cost €6.99 a month or €49.99 for an annual subscription. The trial covers 11 countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

The app will either stream programmes or they can be downloaded to the iPad to watch later.

Luke Bradley-Jones, managing director of BBC.com and global iPlayer, said: "The global BBC iPlayer is an exciting step towards addressing the international demand for high-quality content – be that catching up with Eastenders in Oostend, watching the modern-day Luther all the way in Wittenberg or revisiting Fawlty Towers and Manuel from the Costa del Sol."

The global edition of the BBC iPlayer will be different to the UK version, hosting 1,500 hours of "selected" content from the BBC archives going back until the 1950s. The programmes available will vary by country and aim to offer a "Best of British" experience.

Bradley-Jones added that the global iPlayer would "generate money to support the license fee". A version for the USA will follow later this year.