UK Internet TV service YouView could finally be set for launch in May

YouView is a joint TV venture by some of the UK’s biggest TV and broadband brands, including the BBC, Channel 4, BT and TalkTalk. The project aims to bring together catch up TV services together on one platform, but it has faced delay-after-delay over the past couple of years.

Founded initially in September 2010, the project could have led the way for digital TV-viewing platforms in the UK. But the latest revelation that it may at last be launching in a few months time almost has an air of ‘meh‘ about it.

As TechRadar reports, speakers at the Digital Television Group summit let slip that the service could be hitting consumers’ TV screens on May 14, though this wasn’t an official announcement.

Last March, we reported that Lord Alan Sugar, who at the time had recently joined YouView as Chairman, was set to “Cure or kill off YouView”. The service was originally due to launch in 2010, but was rescheduled for 2011 and eventually delayed until this year.

With Internet-enabled TVs, consoles, tablets and smartphones now nearing ubiquity, YouView does almost feel like it has missed the boat somewhat. However, Freeview managing director, Ilse Howling, told delegates at the Summit: “There is a very big market starting there and all of us want to embrace that connected opportunity,” suggesting that there is still a lot of market share to gain in the video-on-demand (Vod) space.

If YouView is to stand a chance of succeeding, it really had better get a move on before people really do switch off and give up on the idea.