After spending two years on death row, BBC’s global iPlayer finally has its execution date: 26 June.
BBC Worldwide announced the service’s demise via Twitter this week:
BBC iPlayer (Global) will be closing permanently between 26th May & 26th June 2015. For more info check http://t.co/2FmyWZ0Xcc
— BBC iPlayer (Global) (@BBCiPlayerGLBL) May 12, 2015
The shutdown will be phased, starting from 26 May and continue until its deathday of 26 June. The BBC has been threatening to close global iPlayer for the last two years, and kept threatening through a series of reviews in the last few months.
Aussies who want to watch shows direct from the UK will be left in the lurch in June following the closure. The next best local alternative for watching BBC content in Australia comes through Foxtel’s deal with the British broadcaster.
Foxtel’s BBC First channel carries all the British programming you could ever ask for, at a price of course.
Foxtel Play allows you to build a pay TV package based on your needs, rather than lumping you with channels you don’t really want in a traditional home Foxtel subscription. Getting the Drama package on Foxtel Play includes the BBC First channel, and also gets you UKTV, FX, 13th Street, SoHo and SyFy for $25.
Don’t worry about shows like Doctor Who going behind Foxtel’s paywall, however: the ABC still has the rights to the adventures of the Doctor and his flying blue box.
Alternatively, you could just fire up your VPN and access the UK iPlayer so you don’t lose a thing.
Get your global iPlayer fix while it lasts, folks.