IPLAYER: BBC Management proposals for the introduction of pre-booking functionality
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iPLAYER: BBC Management proposals for the introduction of pre-
booking functionality
Introduction
Context
1. The version of the iPlayer launched in December 2007 permits users to download or
stream BBC TV programmes broadcast over the previous seven days, it does not
allow users to ‘pre-book’ a download.
2. Pre-booking was not assessed as part of the On-demand PVT. In its final PVT
decision the BBC Trust indicated the Executive could return with a formal proposal
to include bookmarking in its on-demand offerings 1 . This document sets-out the
BBC’s proposals for the pre-booking 2 of content.
Summary
3. Pre-booking is a feature whereby iPlayer users would be able to conveniently pre-
order the download of a TV programme before it has been broadcast.
4. Pre-booking is a ‘pull’, rather than ‘push’ functionality in that it is users and not the
BBC that select which content will be downloaded. However, the timing of such
downloads is determined by the BBC.
5. After the user has pre-booked the programme the corresponding file will be
delivered to the user’s computer at the optimum time for the user, the UK internet
and the BBC.
6. File delivery may be ahead of the scheduled broadcast time however the user would
be unable to view the programme before broadcast, as the file would be protected
by Digital Rights Management (DRM).
7. The rights window for a programme downloaded via pre-booking will be the same as
if the programme had been downloaded on the day it is broadcast:
a. The 30-day storage window for content is activated from the point of
broadcast of the programme, not from the point of download.
b. That is, following programme broadcast the user has up to 30 days in which
to open the file to view.
c. Once opened, the file can be viewed any number of times over the next
seven days.
d. After the seven day viewing window, or where the file is not opened before
expiry of the 30-day storage window, the file is no longer accessible to view.
1
BBC Trust: “BBC on-demand proposals: Public Value Test final conclusions”. p 17
2
Previously, this functionality has been termed ‘book marking’. However, because this term has a variety of meanings in the internet space,
the functionality is henceforth termed ‘pre-booking’
page 1Platforms
8. Initially, pre-booking will be available only on the iPlayer catch-up service over the
internet, and will not be available over cable TV. 3
9. To the extent that is technically feasible and delivers good value for money the BBC
will endeavour to make pre-booking available on the same platforms that
downloading is.
Pre-booking individual programmes
10. Initially, users will be able to pre-book individual programmes to download up to
seven days in advance of broadcast. 4 Following programme broadcast, the user has
30 days in which to open the file for viewing.
11. After the seven day viewing window has expired, or where the file is not opened
before expiry of the 30-day storage window, the file is no longer accessible to view.
Pre-booking series
12. It will also be possible to pre-book all outstanding episodes in a series 5 as a single
action, and this may include episodes that will only be broadcast several weeks or
months later. 6
13. Initially, users will be able to pre-book a series for up to seven days in advance of
broadcast of the first episode in the series.
14. Following transmission of each programme the user has 30 days in which to open the
file for viewing. After the file is first opened, the user has seven days in which to view
the programme.
15. The 30-day storage and 7-day viewing windows for a pre-booked series applies to
each individual programme, not the series as a whole.
16. Pre-booking is different to the ‘series stacking’ functionality approved by the BBC
Trust in the on-demand PVT in that while the latter extends content’s rights window,
the former does not. Also, series stacking allows users to view programmes from
episodes already transmitted over linear TV; by contrast, pre-booking allows users to
arrange for the download of content that is yet to be transmitted (although the
viewing itself cannot happen before transmission).
3
However, note that TV audiences (and, in particular, cable subscribers) with DVR technology will have access
to very similar functionality.
4
However, this may change in the future depending on user feedback and product development decisions
5
See the BBC Trust’s: “BBC on-demand proposals: Public Value Test final conclusions” - series permitted for
‘pre-booking’ accord with those approved for ‘series stacking’
6
When the files would be downloaded is an operational policy that may change as the product is iterated, but
initially downloads would likely happen a few days before each programme’s transmission.
page 2Impact on public value of the proposed pre-booking functionality
Reach and usage of BBC content
17. BBC Management does not expect pre-booking to have an incremental impact on
overall usage of the iPlayer service to the extent that it would require adjustment of
the forecasts outlined when the service was first proposed
18. Generally, consumers will pre-book the programmes that they are most interested
in. The overall level of consumption of BBC content is unlikely to change as a result
of pre-booking, as consumers would watch these highly-valued programmes
regardless, either live or through retrospective viewing using iPlayer’s catch-up
functionality. 7
Quality and Impact
19. Pre-booking will enhance iPlayer’s consumer impact: trialists of the iMP prototype
commented that the impact on their viewing behaviour would have been greater if
download times had been shorter. 8 Thanks to its immediacy, pre-booking will help
address this shortcoming. Although this is also being addressed through the
introduction of streaming, 9 pre-booking does this without forcing users to
compromise on image quality; this results in higher quality for the proposition as a
whole.
20. Additionally, users expect to be able to pre-book the download of programmes they
think they may miss, especially if they will be away from home for eight days or more:
• A recent survey undertaken by Human Capital for the BBC found that 85% of
respondents believed that ‘pre-booking features’ were a useful part of relevant
services, whilst almost three-quarters stated that they would expect pre-
booking to be a standard feature on relevant services.
• Pre-booking is a standard piece of functionality common throughout internet
catch-up services (e.g. Channel 4’s 4OD) and e-commerce sites (e.g. eBay and
Amazon) and Sky’s ‘series link’ functionality. It is designed to aid ease of use
and simplify user journeys.
• Similar functionality is familiar to all users of media recording technologies
since the VCR.
21. For all these reasons, BBC Management expects the inclusion of pre-booking to
increase the value placed on iPlayer by its users.
Value for Money
22. Currently the BBC’s downloading (as opposed to streaming) costs are fixed.
Consequently, because pre-booking only applies to downloading, the BBC will incur
no additional costs as a result of introducing this functionality.
23. Further, inasmuch as users substitute pre-booking for streaming, costs should go
down, as the latter’s costs are not fixed. 10
7
To take a parallel example, consider the pre-ordering functionality offered by Amazon.com: the demand for pre-ordered content is greatest
for the most popular products sold by the website e.g. the hardback of the next Harry Potter book.
8
BBC Management’s assessment of the public value of its new on-demand proposals, par 6.5.2
9
See separate paper
10
The BBC is currently considering alternative download options, some of which may include variable costs. However, because none of
these would cost more than streaming, the main point remains: pre-booking’s impact on costs will be either neutral or favourable.
page 3Market Impact
Diversion effects
24. Ofcom’s original market impact assessment (MIA) of the BBC’s on demand
proposals 11 concluded that the relevant markets most likely to be affected by the
BBC’s internet catch-up TV proposals were “[producers of] DVDs and other VOD
services (although in this case internet VOD is more significantly impacted than TV
VOD).”
25. Including pre-booking in the iPlayer is highly unlikely to have a significant incremental
impact on the degree of ‘diversion12 ’ from internet-based VOD services and DVDs.
Pre-booking is simply the equivalent of putting a reminder in a personal diary using,
say, MS Outlook or a mobile phone, and while it may make the viewer more likely to
download a programme on to their computer, they would only be likely to watch the
programme if they believed it to be high quality and compelling. And, if audiences
were unable to pre-book content, they would watch these programmes anyway -
either live or through retrospective viewing. It therefore follows that if pre-booking
does not add to the BBC’s existing reach, it cannot lead to any diversion of demand
away from other relevant markets.
26. The introduction of pre-booking will not affect the differentiation of the BBC’s
service from its competitors as other internet based VOD services will incorporate
this functionality. 13
27. Pre-booking is a minor piece of functionality relative to other elements and attributes
of the iPlayer. (For example in Ofcom’s consumer survey, current users of internet
catch-up services stated that not having to worry about having to plan to record
programmes in advance was a key feature of the BBC’s proposed service). As such,
it will be unlikely to drive usage of the iPlayer (although it will offer a better user
experience to existing iPlayer).
28. Ofcom’s Market Impact Assessment (MIA) also found that over the long term, as
home hubs (i.e. devices that enable viewers to watch internet content on their TVs)
become more popular, there could be some substitution away from broadcast, cable
and satellite services, and from PVRs.
29. It is unlikely that suppliers of broadcast, cable and satellite services will be affected by
the inclusion of pre-booking – as argued above attractiveness of BBC content and the
ability to watch BBC programmes either live or retrospectively will ultimately
determine reach.
30. Sales of PVRs could be affected in the long term, though this impact is likely to be
minimal:
• Although the inclusion of pre-booking means that the iPlayer will share some of
the same functionality as a PVR, watching pre-booked content on a PC will never
be an exact substitute for watching content on a television. There will always
been some circumstances when viewers will prefer to use the iPlayer in
preference to watching pre-booked content via PVR (e.g. at work or when
commuting).
11
BBC’s new on demand proposals Market impact assessment, Ofcom January 2006
12
Ofcom uses the term ‘diversion’ to refer to the share of the proposed BBC service’s demand (in hours) that is diverted from demand for
other services.
13
Channel 4’s 4OD includes this feature and we would expect peer group services from Sky & ITV to include pre-booking as part of their
user interfaces.
page 4• The penetration of home-hubs is not widespread. Usage of the iPlayer can only
have a substantial impact on the demand for PVRs, when penetration of home
hubs is high.
Impact on ISPs
31. As well as considering potential market impacts of pre-booking in the relevant
markets immediately affected by the proposal, it is also important to look at market
impacts in wider markets.
32. Ofcom’s MIA suggested that catch-up TV over the internet could lead to increased
demand for bandwidth, ultimately requiring ISPs to invest in their networks, to
prevent quality of service provided to consumers from deteriorating.
33. ISPs’ costs are driven by their peak-time bandwidth requirements, and these in turn
depend on the amount of time-sensitive content that is transmitted over their
networks. Pre-booked downloading is less time-sensitive than streaming or normal
downloading (under which users may become frustrated as they wait for a download
to complete). Therefore, as more users adopt pre-booking at the expense of
streaming, more content will be transmitted by means that have a relatively small
impact on ISP costs.
Conclusion
34. Pre-booking is a relatively simple addition to the iPlayer that will bring benefits for
users and, in terms of reduced costs, for ISPs, and that would have limited potential
for negative market impact.
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