The BBC has revealed plans that could significantly change the future of UK streaming television. As part of its response to the government consultation on the BBC’s next Royal Charter, the broadcaster has proposed expanding BBC iPlayer to include programmes from other UK public service broadcasters such as ITV and Channel 4.

The idea would effectively turn BBC iPlayer into a larger shared streaming destination for British television. Instead of viewers needing to switch between multiple apps – such as ITVX, Channel 4’s streaming service, and others – the BBC suggests that content from different broadcasters could be discoverable and streamed within a single platform.

According to the BBC, the proposal is designed to help UK broadcasters compete with global streaming giants like Netflix and Disney+. International platforms have enormous budgets and global audiences, while UK broadcasters currently operate separate services with smaller reach and resources. By bringing public service content together in one place, the BBC believes it could create a stronger UK-owned streaming platform with the scale needed to compete globally.

Under the proposal, the BBC would continue to keep its own programmes free of advertising, as required under the licence fee system. However, shows from other broadcasters could retain their existing business models. That means ITV or Channel 4 programmes appearing within iPlayer could still include advertising, and some content might even remain part of subscription services depending on how agreements are structured.

The BBC also suggested that the technology behind iPlayer could be shared with other broadcasters. This could reduce development costs by allowing multiple organisations to use the same underlying platform instead of maintaining separate apps and streaming infrastructure.

This isn’t the first time UK broadcasters have considered creating a joint streaming platform. In 2008, a proposed service called Project Kangaroo aimed to combine catch-up television from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 into a single platform. However, the Competition Commission blocked the plan over concerns it could dominate the emerging online TV market.

More recently, BritBox attempted a similar collaboration by offering a shared library of British television content. But the standalone BritBox service in the UK was eventually shut down, with its content moving to other platforms.

The BBC’s latest proposal could therefore be seen as another attempt to build a unified British streaming destination – this time centred around the already well-established iPlayer platform, which launched back in 2007.

For viewers, the idea could simplify streaming by allowing them to find shows from multiple broadcasters in one place rather than juggling different apps and logins. For broadcasters, it could help protect the visibility of British television content in a streaming landscape increasingly dominated by global platforms.

However, the plan is still only a proposal and would require regulatory approval as well as cooperation from other broadcasters. The UK government consultation on the BBC’s next Royal Charter runs until March 2026, and any major changes to iPlayer would likely take several years to develop and implement.

If approved, the move could reshape how audiences access UK television online and potentially create the closest thing yet to a unified British streaming platform.