Buy and Download Classic Who With BBC Store

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Doctor Who fans will now be able to buy and download episodes – as well as long lost gems from the whole of the BBC archive – as the corporation launches a new online service: BBC Store.

The site features around 7,000 hours’ worth of content and bosses said they would add about 3,500 more over the next year. The store also includes new programmes soon after they have aired, as well as classic content from the BBC archives.

After setting up an online account, users will also be able to browse collections of programmes such as Blackadder, Top Gear and Peaky Blinders, and then buy and keep digital versions of single episodes or full series. The content, which includes both classic and new episodes of Doctor Who, will be permanently available for fans to download and watch or stream.

The launch video even includes a brief clip of Peter Capaldi introducing the new service.

The digital store is intended as a long-term replacement for DVD sales, the market for which has halved in the last three years, said Marcus Arthur, UK managing director for the broadcaster’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.

While the BBC Store would be an “opportunity to create new revenues”, it’s believed it wouldn’t make a huge contribution to the £1.2bn Worldwide has promised to return to BBC coffers over the next five years.

It’s unlikely that it would serve as an exact replacement of DVD Sales as download to view will only be worth half the value of the DVD business by 2019. However, those sales goes straight to the bottom line because there are fewer manufacturing and distribution costs.

The service will be curated by BBC staff and, where an editorial decision is taken within the public service section of the BBC to revoke programming, it will also be taken down from BBC Store and customers refunded, said Arthur.

BBC Worldwide’s e-commerce boss, Steve Wind-Mozley, said some content that was now deemed inappropriate for broadcast because it was perceived as being racist or sexist, such as It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, would be included in an “of its time” section.

He added that the service focuses primarily on drama, entertainment and factual programming, but he was keen to add more content for children, as well as music programming. However current affairs and sports programmes would be ‘nearly impossible’ to include in large qualities.

The service is integrated with the BBC’s iPlayer, which will continue to offer content for free. Users will be prompted if they choose to buy something that they don’t have to pay for on iPlayer.

What’s more, you’ll still be able to watch Doctor Who on subscription services like Amazon and Netflix. BBC Worldwide confirmed that their place on the rival services would not be under threat because the business models are different.

Marcus Arthur reiterated: “BBC Store is not a subscription service. It is about opening up the archive. For me they are separate markets. BBC Store is about buy-to keep.”

The costing will vary – prices for a single episode start at £1.89 and the average for a six-part series is £7.99. The BBC says it will be flexible about pricing and will be keeping an eye on the market price points of other content suppliers like Amazon and Netflix.

BBC Store will be available on PCs and Macs, but not immediately on televisions. A “series pass” function will also deliver episodes of current series automatically after they have aired.

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