250m videos have been seen on the BBC’s iPlayer according to Erik Huggers, Director of BBC Future Media & Technology. He spoke on 11th November 2008 at Screen Digest’s The Future of Online Media Distribution conference.

The BBC, with its stella current and archive content, is extending both its world and local reach. Globally the BBC is finding its programs are delivering incremental audiences around its mainstreama and niche content and will aim to integrate a social media platform to further engage its audience in programming.

Locally the BBC is going deeper with its resourced local UK network delivering broader and deeper video content, which will deliver a major challenge to local newspapers, who are already in crisis.

Whilst the BBC has ‘public’ funding the lead they are creatring in this area, will be aimed to be replicated by commercial organisations, albeit with different funding depth. For video advertising, and for SME’s, the accelleration of traditional networks into online is going to mean more targeted audience options to place their online video content. For example a local organic manufacturer of jam is going to be able to target their own video content, advertising or editorial, within both regional and global niche food programming.

The opportunities for targeted advertising and the online creative quality of that advertising are really only past the first few chapters.