The latest trial version of the BBC iPlayer will include links with Facebook and Twitter to make it easier for users to share content via social networking.
The system, currently being rolled out in beta testing stage, also includes direct links to the video-on-demand players of some of the BBC’s commercial rivals, including ITV, Channel Four and Five.
The corporation says that it plans to make the iPlayer more social, and Facebook and Twitter are just the beginning, though there are no plans for the BBC to build its own Facebook-style community. So long as users are logged into the service they can recommend and point friends towards BBC content.
Perhaps surprisingly, the new version of the iPlayer also shows the channel icons of rival broadcasters in its online EPG. Deals have been arranged with the ITV Player, 4oD, Five on Demand, S4C’s Clic and video on-demand service SeeSaw.