Azureus strikes BBC deal for broadband TV in US

BitTorrent client developer Azureus today revealed that it had landed a major deal with the BBC to carry some of the British network's programming on its new Zudeo service. The first ever such deal for the BBC, the agreement will see some of the most popular classic and recent British TV shows, amongst them Doctor Who, Little Britain, and Red Dwarf, reach a peer-to-peer network legally for the first time. Though formal details were not revealed, much of the content is expected to be freely available as neither company has to incur bandwidth costs.

The BBC has historically resisted attempts to view its content online without explicit approval and has repeatedly shut down BitTorrent sites as well as YouTube video links that pointed to episodes of recent shows. The station's negotiation with Zudeo marks a conscious break with this practice. "“We want to ensure that our most popular content – as well as programs that have rarely been seen in the territory – are part of the latest dynamic entertainment environment and can reach the largest audience possible," says the BBC's Beth Clearfield.