Update a year and a half later 😉 in the end the BBC have their app for outside of the UK, but for those travelling from the UK and find their ipad is not picking up content, then you just need my VPN connection to watch the iplayer
BBC Iplayer abroad, well not for everyone!
It was announced earlier in December that the BBC IPlayer was going to be available to customers outside the UK, which in some ways I would be happy for, but on closer inspection it appears not quite as one would hope.
Apparently when the BBC does launch its iplayer it will not be for everyone outside the UK, just those who live in the US for specific content and only on the Ipad. Not ideal for expats outside of America and for myself living in Spain, could this be part of that special relationship we always hear about 😉
Obviously depending upon its success this could effect users of a proxy. If I was to be cynic I suspect they like the idea that people can access the the BBC Iplayer from abroad, because it is a way to get a global reach without upsetting other countries broadcasting agreements, why do I think this, well if they wanted to stop access via a proxy they can!
There is no doubt this is a complicated issue and I suspect the real issue is not about the BBC not wanting their content accessible abroad, but more like other countries not wanting the BBC to broadcast into their countries. If you then add on the fact that the BBC is paid for by UK citizens by a licence in the UK, it isn’t surprising that the BBC need to tread carefully
This is more obvious with SKY TV, because they are not allowed to sell access to their satellites in Spain, but most expats living in Spain on the Costa Del sol have a dish. On a personal note accessing the SKY Iplayer from Spain with the proxy didn’t work for a few days, this is now fixed, why because they want my £30 per month subscription and the many others expats living abroad, whilst keeping other countries happy by saying they do not enable access to their content from abroad.
So under final analysis, I suspect it will be quite some time before there are no borders for TV and I suspect using my proxy, is in actual fact helping many expats abroad and the UK TV channels at the same time.
But if I was running the BBC iplayer “Luke Bradley-Jones” I have the answer for you that would make everyone happy. Just give access to the iplayer with a login just like SKY but in your case with the TV Licence number, keep the proxy loop hole open and then everyone will be happy… The BBC licence payers, the BBC and me!