BBC, ITV and Channel 4 in IPTV collaboration

by Jan Harris

The BBC, ITV and Channel 4 are believed to be considering a joint venture to establish a single platform for on-demand TV to broadband devices.

The initiative, known as ‘Project Kangaroo’ would create a ‘one-stop shop’, which would be open to other channels as well, to allow legal broadband viewing from one programme.

According to the Guardian it will “do for broadband what Freeview did for digital television”. Freeview is jointly owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, BSkyB and National Grid Wireless.

Project Kangaroo would involve the terrestrial channels pooling their broadband video download programming and offering it through one service.

All three broadcasters have their own broadband video download services based on their own dedicated online properties and it would make sense to bring these together in a single source.

The BBC is planning to launch a peer-to-peer service, Channel 4 has launched 4oD and ITV launched a streaming service this week. All three use Microsoft digital rights management to provide content protection.

It is understood that the broadcasters are talking with the Digital Television Group, which controls Freeview, about integrating Project Kangaroo software into set-top boxes.

This would place it in direct competition with BT, Sky and Virgin Media.

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