• Paid Content, Wednesday, October 7, 2009 3:18 PM

Call it Yankee naiveté, but we always thought the BBC equaled free programming. After what it's describing as a "nightmare" year, BBC Worldwide -- the corporation's commercial wing -- plans to launch a pay-for video-on-demand portal, along with a slew of new paid mobile apps, and ecommerce partnerships overseas.

The new VOD platform is expected to offer: "catchup" for the BBC's international channels like BBC America; "premium catalogue material" like Doctor Who and Top Gear; and material from the BBC's deep archives. The focus of the premium efforts? Us, i.e., the U.S., which makes up 20 million of BBC.com's 50 million users worldwide.

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