BBC iPlayer viewers will soon need to register for a personal account to watch the service, the broadcaster announced today. New rules require users to sign up for a BBC ID to access shows on mobile devices or computers, listen to radio, and use several BBC mobile apps.
Currently, no registration is needed to watch BBC programming live or on catch-up, but viewers must hold a valid UK TV licence. The change is part of the corporation's move to create a 'more personal' BBC.
From today, existing BBC ID holders must add a postcode to their account, which previously only required an email address and password. The BBC says this will enable more personalised and localised services, such as better programme recommendations. Since last year, over seven million people have signed into the BBC or registered for an account.
Tony Hall, BBC director general, said: 'By learning about what you want and like we can take you to more of the great programmes you love, stories you might be interested in and content you might otherwise never have discovered. This is a real transformation - reinventing public service broadcasting for the digital age.'
The announcement follows the closure of a loophole that allowed viewers to watch iPlayer without a TV licence. Viewers now risk prosecution and a £1,000 fine if they download or watch shows on iPlayer without a licence on any device. The BBC said a 'significant' number of people have bought a licence since the new rules came into effect.
