BBC iPlayer to be available internationally this year for less than $10 per month

The long-awaited international version of the BBC’s iPlayer is on track for this year and at a bargain price too, it seems.

Speaking at the FT Digital Media & Broadcasting Conference in London today, the BBC’s Director General, Mark Thompson confirmed that the video on demand service, which is free to use within the UK, will be available for a charge of “A few dollars a month – less than $10”.

While the iPlayer is available as a browser-based service and on games consoles, as well as via iPad and Android apps, in the UK, it was reported in December that the international launch could well be iPad only.

At the time, BBC.com managing director Luke Bradley-Jones said “We’re going to be adopting a pure paid subscription model for the global iPlayer for launch – in part to get audiences used to using the service, but more importantly so we can generate additional value from the service in terms of the user data that it gives us. We will also offer advertisers the chance to partner with us on the ‘free’ areas of the service.”