The BBC iPlayer is to add restart functionality on its PC version, meaning viewers can watch a show from the start, without waiting for a show to end.
Viewers will be able to watch BBC shows from the beginning or rewind the entire schedule by two hours.
A popular feature on US cable networks, restart has to date remained absent from Europe, with the exception of Scandinavia where it is found on Denmark’s You See. The BBC’s Live Restart is a first for the UK.
The move has been aided by a move to http streaming.
It builds on BBC iPlayer’s strategy of moving beyond catch-up and make watching live content even better online. With live requests making up over 22% of total BBC iPlayer requests on the PC in April 2012 – an increase of 18 percent on April 2011 – the BBC is seeing significant growth in demand for live content on the iPlayer.
Dave Price, Head of BBC iPlayer says: “We all know how frustrating it is when you’re stuck in a traffic jam, or delayed on the tube, missing the critical start of your favourite BBC programme. Live Restart solves this by giving audiences control. With one simple click of a button viewers can skip back to the beginning of a live programme, ensuring they never miss a moment of their favourite BBC programmes.”
The feature will be extended to mobiles, tablets and connected TVs later in the year.
