BBC to sell content through iTunes

Rumours about Auntie's antics online

18 February 2008 15:37 GMT / By Katie Scott

It seems the BBC has come a long way from just months ago when disgruntled Mac users were bombarding the corporation with petitions over its PC-bias for the iPlayer.

Ten days ago, we reported that the iPlayer is to be Mac-friendly by the end of the year, and now online rumours are suggesting that the Beeb is going to announce a deal to distribute its shows via the iTunes video store next week.

The Register is reporting that an industry source has revealed to it that BBC Worldwide is going to detail plans on Tuesday to start selling content through the Apple online store.

The website's source says BBC Worldwide's digital media director Simon Danker has contacted the BBC's third party production partners to inform them of the new distribution channel.

The BBC has already indicated future tie-ups with Apple for its iPlayer.

The man behind the iPlayer, Ashley Highfield, has indicated the IPTV service will soon be available via the AppleTV set-top box.

When contacted by The Register, a BBC Worldwide spokeswoman refused to comment on what she called "market speculation", while Apple did not return calls.