Britons watched 800,000 free online TV streams and downloads in 2007 - but they will watch 1.5 billion this year and 2.8 billion in 2012, Screen Digest forecasts. The research firm has issued revised predictions based on the arrival of BBC iPlayer, which it said accounted for 38 percent of all free TV streams and downloads last year despite only having been officially launched on Christmas Day. ”iPlayer’’s success underlines comparative lag in other broadcasters’ delivery models,” it said, praising the Flash-based web version the BBC eventually got around to adding late in iPlayer’s development.

“The application-based strategies pursued by some UK broadcasters, which require users to download a heavy proprietary application before being able to download content, has so far erected an unnecessary barrier to initial consumer adoption and hampered market growth.” It criticised 4oD in this respect. BSkyB (NYSE: BSY) switched to an in-browser version late last year.

So dominant is iPlayer in the free online TV mix, segment revenue will grow slowly - from 2007’s £19 million to £98 million in 2012 - thanks to the BBC’s public-service remit, Screen Digest said. It criticised a ”lack of clear strategies from commercial broadcasters” but said iPlayer’s ubquity “will encourage UK commercial broadcasters to enter a long term reassessment of how they deliver programming to users”. Important to note that, whilst the web version of iPlayer can stream across platforms, downloading can thus far only be accomplished to a Windows desktop app.

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