BBC unveils news 'app' for TV screens
The BBC has today launched its first app for the new breed of internet-connected televisions.
Its news app, which is initially available on Samsung's range of Smart TVs, allows television viewers to pull up text reports and videos from the BBC News website at the touch of a button.
The corporation says the app launch is part of its plan to offer greater value for money for licence-fee payers by repurposing BBC Online content for a wide-range of devices.
And it is moving into the TV app market because it predicts that 36 million televisions with built-in internet capability will be installed in UK homes by the end of 2016.
"As we've seen with BBC iPlayer in the UK, and our global smartphone applications, audiences enjoy the freedom and flexibility of BBC services at a time and place that suits them – whether on the move or on the living-room TV," said Phil Fearnley, general manager for News and Knowledge at BBC Future Media.
"Looking forward, we are particularly interested in creating seamless, personalised, and location-aware experiences of BBC News across all connected devices – mobiles, tablets, computers, and TVs. Internet-connected TV is still in its infancy, but innovations such as this hint at the long-term creative potential of the internet as a medium."
The BBC News app will be available free of charge from the Samsung Apps Store. BBC Worldwide will also launch an international version supported by advertising.