BBC: iPlayer and BBC channels to be seamlessly integrated

The BBC iPlayer and traditional BBC broadcasts are to get tighter integration in the future, with big changes coming in the next few years.

This is according to Roly Keating, BBC director of archive content and executive editor of online, who was a speaker at this year's DTG summit in London.

In a keynote that mapped out the BBC's vision for a connected world, Keating noted that the iPlayer would play a massive part but will become less of a separate entity from the corporation's traditional broadcasts.

Connected potential

"As the marriage of online and TV gets closer and closer, more companies are drawn by possibilities of connected televisions," Keating said.

"The BBC's role is the same as ever – to tap into the true creative potential of this new platform and deliver content in new ways."

One way the BBC plans to do this is with the iPlayer, explained Keating.

"Within the next year or two we are going to bring iPlayer and broadcast into the same system and make them a seamless experience.

"The more seamless the navigation experience the better. [The BBC wants] simple navigation and broadcast-led entry points to online and on-demand."

TV watching

While the iPlayer is a massive part of the BBC's future and its popularity is on the rise, Keating was keen to point out that traditional broadcast wasn't suffering as a side effect.

"People are still sitting at home watching television, with over 27 hours of TV a week consumed.

"People love that hi-def, big screen. So while apps and video on demand are vital, it is about enriching the broadcast experience, leveraging the built-in power and the reach that mass market television channels have."