BBC's iPlayer to take on Apple's iTunes?

Last week, the BBC caught digital media pundits by surprise by inviting other broadcasters to use its forthcoming iPlayer platform to sell content.

Previously, iPlayer had been all about catch-up internet television - a kind of video equivalent to BBC Radio's 'listen again' facility. Viewers would be able to download BBC shows from the past seven days; then they'd have 30 days in which to watch them before the files automatically destroyed themselves thanks to Microsoft digital rights management technology.

There's nothing revolutionary about that. Channel 4's 4oD service has been selling its own content online since the end of 2006; ITV.com is expected to relaunch later this month with a free, ad-supported catch-up service; Five Download offers limited TV on demand for a price; and Sky’s clever PC-mobile phone-TV Sky Anytime on-demand service is a natural extension to their satellite business.

But this new vision of iPlayer - as an advertising-funded platform for
other broadcasters to sell content - means the BBC is challenging
Apple’s heavyweight iTunes store which has still to open its doors to
TV and film consumers in the UK. There’s a window of opportunity here,
and the BBC thinks it can squeeze through it by the end of the summer.

The irony is that the BBC's iPlayer - named in clear homage to Apple's
- relies on Windows Media Player 10 for its rights management
implementation and so, in its current state, is Windows XP-only.

The
BBC Trust have demanded a solution, but it will be technically tricky.
Meanwhile, Apple's iTunes is cross-platform and proven. If you were a
broadcaster, which would you choose?