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from the one-more-reason-to-cut-the-cord dept.
The BBC is planning to launch a subscription-based video streaming service in the United States.
BBC director general Tony Hall said he wanted to "try out businesses that go direct to the public" to boost the income of BBC Worldwide.
The new service, which could launch in 2016, will not affect agreements with other services such as Amazon and Hulu.
One expert told BBC News the service would probably appeal to a "niche" audience.
Lord Hall said the new service would showcase the "best of British" television to audiences in the US.
"We're launching a new over-the-top video service in America offering BBC fans programmes they wouldn't otherwise get - showcasing British actors, our programme-makers - and celebrating our culture," he said in a speech on Thursday.
Will balkanization work for streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and now the BBC?
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Tuesday September 22 2015, @12:53PM
As long as the BBC isn't signing exclusive contracts with the middlemen and is still allowing middlemen to distribute in competition with the BBC, I do not see them promoting balkanization.
-- hendrik
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 22 2015, @03:29PM
Maybe not to the strictest definition of "promote" - but if everybody else feels like you are directly competing with them, they will be less interested in carrying your product. So unless your product is so overwhelmingly popular that demand is practically unlimited, the end result is the same as exclusive contracts.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 22 2015, @03:47PM
Sounds like selection is going to be limited, offering only the most popular shows:
It may be that they only show a few episodes of each season: so as to avoid competing directly with their distributers.