BBC iPlayer Postponed For Xbox 360 Indefinitely

Thank you Microsoft... it seems the BBC iPlayer has been postponed for the Xbox 360 indefinitely due to a stalemate between Microsoft and the BBC over charging for the service. As you'll already know, Microsoft likes to charge for services on the Xbox 360 whereas the BBC can't really charge for the iPlayer and Microsoft won't let them provide it for free... A source from the BBC explained:

“Microsoft only wants to offer its users access to platforms it can charge for as this is the model it is pursuing. It wants to ensure that only those paying for Xbox Live Gold accounts can access its additional content services and even then there is usually a charge on top to get access to those. For example, to access the Sky Player on Xbox, you have to pay for a Gold subscription as well as a Sky subscription."

“This does not fit with the BBC’s model and Microsoft will not budge at the moment. It is really frustrating for those involved on the BBC side who want to make sure iPlayer is rolled out on as many popular entertainment platforms as possible."

"The BBC cannot charge the British public for access to the iPlayer as it is already included in the licence fee."

Which is a bit crap of Microsoft really. You can get it on PS3 and Wii, both for free.

Source: TheTelegraph