The BBC and Microsoft have inked a deal to bring the BBC iPlayer to Windows Phone smartphones. BBC Future Media’s Head of Business Development Cyrus Salihan revealed the information on the BBC Internet Blog.
Unfortunately it won’t be a standalone app, like the one available to Android and iOS users, instead it will be a shortcut to the BBC iPlayer mobile website via a live tile, which can be pinned to the start screen. It’s a real shame Windows Phone users won’t get a dedicated app, but it’s certainly better than the current situation when you go to the iPlayer website it just states ‘Your device is not able to support BBC iPlayer.’
The app will be available via the Windows Phone Store and is compatible with smartphones running Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows 8.
Currently 650 devices can access the BBC iPlayer, including Android and iOS smartphones and tablets and BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10 smartphones.
There’s no news yet when the app will be available, Saihan states: ‘We will keep you updated on the launch and more in the coming months on the blog and elsewhere.’
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