BBC reinvents the Red Button
By Jamie Beach December 4th, 2012
After 13 years of delivering Red Button interactive services, UK broadcaster the BBC has launched a revamped version called ‘Connected Red Button’, with customers of UK cableco Virgin Media first in line to benefit.
The service will launch today (December 4th) on Virgin Media’s TiVo service as part of an innovation partnership agreed between the two organisations to create next-generation TV experiences, and will be rolled out to other Internet-connected TVs over the coming months.
BBC Connected Red Button enables viewers to access catch-up content (including watch programmes from children’s channels, BBC Three and BBC Four anytime, even if the channel is off-air), access additional video streams, clips and content from sporting events, and access a wealth of news and weather headlines and clips at the touch of a button.
New features and functionalities will also be added to the service over time, tapping in to the massive growth in connectable TVs predicted for the UK (almost 22mn expected by the end of 2016).
The existing version of BBC Red Button currently attracts an audience of 20mn per month, peaking during this summer’s Olympic Games, where 24.2mn viewers watched up to 24 live streams via the red button.
Daniel Danker, General Manager, BBC Programmes and On-Demand, commented: “With today’s launch of BBC Connected Red Button, the BBC is seamlessly bringing the Internet together with live TV, while making the technology completely invisible. This is red button reinvented, and the beginning of the exciting future of television.”
By Jamie Beach December 4th, 2012
After 13 years of delivering Red Button interactive services, UK broadcaster the BBC has launched a revamped version called ‘Connected Red Button’, with customers of UK cableco Virgin Media first in line to benefit.
The service will launch today (December 4th) on Virgin Media’s TiVo service as part of an innovation partnership agreed between the two organisations to create next-generation TV experiences, and will be rolled out to other Internet-connected TVs over the coming months.
BBC Connected Red Button enables viewers to access catch-up content (including watch programmes from children’s channels, BBC Three and BBC Four anytime, even if the channel is off-air), access additional video streams, clips and content from sporting events, and access a wealth of news and weather headlines and clips at the touch of a button.
New features and functionalities will also be added to the service over time, tapping in to the massive growth in connectable TVs predicted for the UK (almost 22mn expected by the end of 2016).
The existing version of BBC Red Button currently attracts an audience of 20mn per month, peaking during this summer’s Olympic Games, where 24.2mn viewers watched up to 24 live streams via the red button.
Daniel Danker, General Manager, BBC Programmes and On-Demand, commented: “With today’s launch of BBC Connected Red Button, the BBC is seamlessly bringing the Internet together with live TV, while making the technology completely invisible. This is red button reinvented, and the beginning of the exciting future of television.”