You can register on the site and have your bbc.co.uk homepage customised to your own interests, including localised information, such as the weather. What is a BBC account?įormerly known as BBC iD, a BBC account has been a feature of bbc.co.uk for some time. In future it might implement systems whereby those not paying the licence fee cannot access BBC iPlayer, due to a Government request, but that is still in the discussion phase. It promises that online surveillance is not being adopted and IP addresses of those watching will not be sought. These are features other video streaming services offer, like Netflix, but they generally require a subscription fee.Ĭritics suggest that it also enables the BBC to find and penalise those not paying their licence fees and while that is possible, with the Beeb itself admitting that email accounts can be cross-referenced to find those who are watching but not paying for the privilege, that isn't the main reason. That means, because iPlayer knows who you are, it can sync your watching, enabling the popular "resume play" features that other commercial platforms offer.
In September 2016, the BBC outlined changes to its online strategy that included mandatory BBC account registration to use some of its services.
But why? Here's everything you need to know about the new BBC iPlayer sign-in, including how to register for an account and the benefits it brings. BBC iPlayer now requires you to sign in to watch programmes.