This category includes online based streaming services such as TV Player and Pluto TV, along with connected TV platforms such as BT TV and TalkTalk TV, which combine terrestrial channel line ups with additional channels delivered via broadband.
BritBox have announced that 25 films will be added to the UK version of the on-demand streaming service on the 17th September (2020).
These will mainly be drawn from the Film4 collection, and include Trainspotting, Sexy Beast and The Inbetweeners Movie.
A further 25 movies are due to be added by the end of this year.
Fox News International will launch in the UK on the 17th September (2020), and is a new live streaming service of Fox News Channel and Fox Business for international viewers.
The service will be available on iPhone, Android/Android TV, and Apple TV from launch with Amazon Fire TV and Roku to be added at a later date.
There is a charge for the service, but the UK price has not been confirmed.
BBC’s iPlayer catch up and streaming service saw an increase in demand, with a record breaking number of viewers.
During January to June, 3.1 billion requests to stream programmes were made, an increase of 47% when compared with the same period the previous year.
April to June of this year saw 1.6 billion requests, marking a new best ever quarter. This is an increase of 59% compared to the same period in 2019.
iPlayer viewing had already increased prior to lockdown, with the first quarter (January to March 2020) seeing an increase of 34% compared to the same quarter in 2019.
Media regulator Ofcom is reporting a significant increase in the amount of time spent watching TV. During April 2020, viewers spent an average of six hours and 25 minutes watching TV, an increase of 31% compared to last year.
Subscription streaming services saw an even larger increase, more than doubling to 1 hour 11 minutes in April 2020 each day, compared to 34 minutes the previous year.
It has also been reported that an estimated 12 million adults in the UK signed up to a new subscription streaming service during lockdown. 3 million of these had never used such a service before.
More statistics can be found in Ofcom’s Media Nations 2020 report.
The catch up service from Scottish broadcaster STV, STV Player, is now available nationally across the UK.
1500 hours of free content are currently available on the service. With the service now available UK wide, Freeview Play has eight on demand players available for free.
STV is the ITV franchise holder for central and north Scotland, and is the only franchise not directly controlled by ITV itself.
Disney+, the online streaming service from Disney, has now reached 60.5 million worldwide subscribers.
It had planned to reach the 60 million – 90 million range by 2024, and has hit the lower end of that range ahead of schedule.
The growth of the platform has been boosted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with Netflix also seeing increased numbers of subscribers.
UK intellectual property protection organisation FACT has taken down 17 pirate streaming services, in action taken by their investigators.
The UK wide operation targeted various platforms, including loaded Illicit Streaming Devices (ISDs), which are devices which allow illegal streams to be accessed via TVs. Online streams on websites and social media platforms were also taken down.
Individuals providing the streams stopped operations after cease and desist notifications were sent to them by letter, email, and via social media accounts.
Steve Carson has been appointed the new director of BBC Scotland, and will replace Donalda MacKinnon when she steps down later this year.
Steve Carson is currently the Head of Multi-Platform Commissioning for BBC Scotland, and is known for both content making and commissioning.
In his new position which he will take up in the Autumn, he will be responsible for leading 1100 staff who produce content across TV, radio, and digital platforms, in both Gaelic and English.
The final of the FA Cup football tournament on August 1st (2020) between Arsenal and Chelsea was the most watched match of the season.
BARB data shows a peak of 8.2 million viewers watch the BBC’s coverage across all platforms, surpassing the 7.3 million for the semi-final match between Chelsea and Manchester United.
The top five most viewed football matches across the 2019-2020 season were all FA Cup games, and all were shown on the BBC.
Additionally, BT Sport also showed the FA Cup final between Arsenal and Chelsea, and as the viewing figures are only for the BBC’s coverage, the actual number of viewers of the match will be even higher.
An investigation into illegal streaming of premium content in the north west of England has led to an arrest.
Greater Manchester Police arrested a person in the Leigh area of Wigan, seizing electronic devices including satellite boxes and viewing cards.
The person has since been released under investigation, and enquiries are ongoing.
