Channel 4 announces new 4oD services

UK commercial broadcaster Channel 4 has announced a range of digital initiatives for its online platform 4oD.

Next year, Channel 4 will become the first commercial broadcaster to launch free ad-supported offline viewing, meaning viewers will be able to download and watch Channel 4 shows to various devices, including smartphones and tablets. Viewers will be able to pause a programme on 4oD on one platform and then resume watching from the same point on another device.

In addition, all of Channel 4’s main channels will be available to watch live on iOS and Android devices from early 2013.

Channel 4 said that its database of registered viewers will exceed six million this month, with registrations currently increasing at a rate of over 10,000 a day.

Channel 4’s commercial and business development director, Sarah Rose said, “We’re very excited to be the first commercial public service broadcaster in the UK to offer mobile offline viewing, enabling our viewers to catch up with Channel 4 wherever they may be. And the introduction of Watch Live on the move and cross platform Pause and Play is great news for our young-skewing audience who are increasingly watching our content on multiple mobile devices. These new product innovations both reward our registered viewers and further strengthen our viewer engagement strategy.”