BSkyB ( Sky Broadband ) has added its name to the list of companies that now support YouView (Project Canvas), a subscription-free broadband ISP based video-on-demand and catch-up TV ( IPTV ) service for the UK. Well, if you can't beat them.

The move is particularly surprising because until recently Sky had been one of the projects harshest critics. The ISP and satellite broadcaster had even attempted to have YouView killed off via a Competition Complaint (here), which ultimately failed due to a lack of evidence.

However, it may be important to recognise that Sky is one of many "organisations involved in content provision", which have "registered their interest in engaging with YouView as the platform develops". In other words, Sky is perhaps more interested in supplying content for YouView than it is in adopting the platform.

A Sky spokesperson added that it was still "too early to say at this stage whether we'll offer a service over YouView". Meanwhile YouView also announced the names of 28 other organisations with which it is working closely to shape and test the processes for making content available via the platform.


The content providers working with YouView are Blinkbox, Blinkx, BSkyB, Film4oD, Golant Media Ventures, Guardian News & Media, IndieMoviesOnline, LOVEFiLM, Pushbutton, Radioplayer, Stream UK, STV, Travel Channel, Tvinci, UTV and woomi.

Meanwhile Alcatel-Lucent, Blinkx, Capablue, Deluxe, easeltv, IMD, ioko, Kaltura, Nativ, Ooyala, Red Bee Media, Technicolor, TripleSEE and Twofour will form the technology and service providers' advisory group.

At the time of writing we still only know of two ISPs that plan to launch YouView based services, BT and TalkTalk UK. We're also 99% certain that Vodafone will become the third; others are also known to be considering it. YouView itself was recently delayed by six months and will not launch until "early 2012" (here).