SeeSaw shuts up shop

British video-on-demand television service SeeSaw, has shut down

SeeSaw has effectively been squeezed out of the market by bigger players such as Netflix, which will be available in the UK soon.

The streaming service, which started off as Project Kangaroo in 2007, initially offered content from BBC Worldwide, Channels 4 and 5 plus other production companies. SeeSaw programmes were free to watch and paid for by ads. But people could pay a subscription to switch off adverts.

However in September last year Channels 4 and 5 pulled out and Criterion Capital Partners, the private equity, which bought 75 per cent of shares from Arqiva this year, had decided not to put in the future needed investment.

Arqiva said the private equity firm had failed "to provide their committed funding. Without that funding the service had to close."