Live fees preventing 360 iPlayer

With dedicated BBC iPlayer apps already available on both the PS3 and Wii, it has been claimed that Microsoft has held talks with the BBC to bring an Xbox 360 version of the TV tool to its console.

However, it seems that the fact that Xbox Live is paid-for service is holding up any progress.

The Telegraph reports that the BBC’s public service remit means it isn’t able to offer the iPlayer as part of a paid-for service. Both the PlayStation Network and Nintendo’s Wii Connect 24 are free.

Microsoft only wants to offer its users access to platforms it can charge for as this is the model it is pursuing,” a source ‘close to the BBC’ stated.

It wants to ensure that only those paying for Xbox Live Gold accounts can access its additional content services and even then there is usually a charge on top to get access to those.

This does not fit with the BBC’s model and Microsoft will not budge at the moment. It is really frustrating for those involved on the BBC side who want to make sure iPlayer is rolled out on as many popular entertainment platforms as possible.”

What the Telegraph’s story doesn’t mention, of course, is that the Silver version of Xbox Live is free-to-use.