BBC to allow British tourists to access iPlayer from abroad

British holidaymakers are set to be allowed to catch up on their favourite BBC programmes while on the beach or in the hotel room abroad.

The new plans will allow UK viewers to access iPlayer from foreign locations with the aim of boosting ratings, The Times reports.

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License-fee payers will receive a special code to log on while they are abroad and this will expire after a few weeks.

A BBC spokesman told The Times: "While there are a range of technical and legal complexities, this is an area where we've already started work and agree with the idea of licence-fee payers being able to access programmes on BBC iPlayer when they're on holiday overseas."

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The news comes after Culture Secretary John Whittingdale called for the BBC should let people use iPlayer when they are abroad.

The Daily Telegraph reported that at a speech in Cambridge, he said: "It is only right for someone who has paid for access to a subscription service – or even just the licence fee – to be able to access that content when on holiday overseas... That's why I urge broadcasters to make their content available, and to come forward with their proposals for portability and how this can be made to work for industry."

BBC iPlayer is an internet catch-up service for UK license-fee payers.

A range of programmes, including Eastenders, Have I Got News for You and Strictly Come Dancing are available for streaming.

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