BBC mobile apps - final decision

The BBC Executive has proposed to launch 'BBC News' and 'BBC Sport' Apps, followed by a 'BBC iPlayer' App later in the year. Apps are third party software programmes that can be downloaded to mobile smart phone devices. Following representations it received from the industry, the BBC Trust announced on 29 March 2010 that it would carry out an assessment of these plans. As a result of this decision, the Trust asked the BBC Executive to postpone their planned launch of the Apps in April 2010 until it had reached a final conclusion.

The assessment considered whether or not the proposals constitute a significant change to BBC services and examined the plans in four areas: the extent to which the change is likely to affect users and others; the financial implications of the change; the extent to which the change would involve the BBC in a new area of untested activity; and how long the activity will last.

Having taken into account the relevant considerations, the Trust's view is that the proposals do not represent a significant change to the BBC's UK Public Services and that a Public Value Test is therefore not required.

Details of the Trust's reasoning and decision are outlined below in its final decision below, alongside independent research on the Apps market by Mediatique Ltd.