BBC iPlayer arrives on Wii

April 9, 2008 – The BBC has announced a deal with Nintendo that will bring its hugely successful iPlayer catch-up service to the Wii games console from midnight tonight.

UK-based Wii owners that have connected their console to the Internet will receive a message alerting them to the new service on the Internet channel.  The service is still being tested and the BBC expects to release more polished test versions later this year.

“Working with Nintendo marks another exciting milestone for BBC iPlayer,” said Erik Huggers, Group Controller for Future Media and Technology at the BBC.  “It underlines our commitment to reaching new audiences by making BBC iPlayer available on as many platforms as possible.  The BBC’s catch-up TV service can now be accessed on an increasing number of different platforms – from the Web and portable devices to gaming consoles.  It will shortly be available on TV.”

David Yarnton, General Manager of Nintendo UK, added: “This exciting alliance with the BBC is yet another way in which Nintendo is looking to broaden the market for its products by offering compelling and relevant content to families.”

The BBC added its iPlayer service to Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch last month, and has just announced the latest viewing figures for the iPlayer.  In March 2008, there were over 17.2mn requests to download or stream BBC programmes over the iPlayer, up 25% from the previous month.  News of the deal with Nintendo will however be bad news for the UK’s ISPs, who say that the extra load of iPlayer traffic is putting strain on their networks, with Simon Guntner, Head of Strategy at Tiscali, calling for the BBC to contribute to rising costs.