Global iPlayer app on iPad adds Airplay support

The BBC has announced that the global BBC iPlayer app for the iPad now supports Airplay, enabling users to steam video to their TV screens.

The subscription-based international iPlayer recently expanded into Finland, Sweden and Denmark after launching in 11 western European markets in July and expanding to Australia last month.

Subscribers can stream an extensive on-demand archive of contemporary and classic BBC content on their iPads, or download programmes to watch offline.

Following the launch of Apple's iOS 5 operating system, the app now supports Airplay, which allows users to stream the video they are watching on the iPad to their TV screen via Apple TV.

This means that people overseas can now watch programmes from the BBC on their TV without needing to buy a DVD or tune into an international BBC channel.

Global BBC iPlayer is one of the first video on-demand products to support Airplay, and the corporation has selected a video quality that works well on both the iPad and TV screen.

Global iPlayer general manager Matthew Littleford said: "We're constantly looking at how to develop and evolve the global BBC iPlayer and it's right that through this upgrade, we are able to offer our subscribers Airplay."

On Monday, the BBC announced that series six of Doctor Who and Radio 4's The News Quiz helped the UK version of iPlayer rack up 153m requests for TV and radio programming in September.