ABC iview
| Company type | Public service broadcaster platform |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video on demand, Streaming media |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Headquarters | Australia , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Video on demand, Catch-up TV service |
| Owner | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Website | iview |
ABC iview is a video on demand and catch-up TV platform managed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, available solely within Australia. By 2016, it recorded approximately 50 million monthly streams, accounting for nearly half of all streaming activity on Australian television video services.
History
The service originally debuted in beta under the name "ABC Playback" before evolving into a Flash-based website in July 2008, building on ABC's video podcast initiatives that began in 2006. To handle an increasing amount of content, the platform underwent redesigns in both 2009 and 2010.
Expansion to mobile devices included launching an iPad application in December 2010, followed by an iPhone app in June 2012, and an Android app compatible with devices running version 4.0.3 or higher in December 2013. Later, iview broadened its availability to include Smart TVs, gaming consoles, and other connected hardware.
ABC iview provides on-demand viewing of almost all television programs aired on ABC’s traditional channels (ABC TV, ABC Family, ABC Kids, ABC Entertains, ABC News), alongside live simulcasts and exclusive original productions.
Content is categorised into various genres such as:
- Arts
- Culture
- Comedy
- Documentary
- Drama
- Education
- Lifestyle
- News and current affairs
- Panel and discussion
- Regional Australia
- Sport
In September 2015, ABC introduced a dedicated Arts channel within iview.
Certain programs debut on iview prior to their broadcast on linear television, examples include Rake and the BBC series Class.
Live streams
- In late 2010, iview began streaming ABC News 24 live via its website and mobile applications.
- On 1 December 2015, the main ABC TV channel was added as a simulcast across iview platforms.
- By 18 July 2016, live simulcasts had expanded to cover all remaining broadcast channels (ABC2/ABC Kids, ABC3).
- Starting 1 May 2018, ABC rolled out state-specific live streams of the main ABC channel for VIC, QLD, TAS, NT, NSW, WA, SA, and ACT.
Website
The iview website delivers video streaming at rates up to 4,500Kbps utilizing HTML5 technology.
Mobile devices
- Apple iPad (since 2010)
- Apple iPhone and iPod Touch (since 2012)
- Android smartphones and tablets running Android v5.0 or later (since 2019)
Smart TVs
- Sony Bravia
- Samsung Smart TVs ("Orsay") (from 2011) and Samsung Tizen OS models (from 2015)
- Panasonic Viera Cast (since 2011)
- LG Netcast models (from 2011) & WebOS devices (from 2014)
- FreeviewPlus certified (HbbTV) hardware (since 2014)
- Hisense Smart TVs (beginning February 2020)
Video game consoles
- Microsoft Xbox 360 (available from 2011 until 2018)
- Microsoft Xbox One (since 2015)
- Microsoft Xbox Series X/S (starting in 2020)
- Sony PlayStation 3 (available since 2008)
- Sony PlayStation 4 (since 2015)
- Sony PlayStation 5 (available from 2020)
Media streaming devices
- Foxtel IQ (available since 2019)
- Apple TV 4th generation and newer models (introduced March 2016)
- Telstra TV (launched December 2015)
- Fetch TV (offered from 2013)
- Chromecast devices
Viewing offline
Content on iview is not officially available for download and remains accessible only for a limited period following broadcast. In 2012, ABC issued a legal warning targeting an open source application that permitted downloading. Nevertheless, alternative tools such as youtube-dl still enable unofficial content downloads.
Data unmetering
Towards the end of 2008, the iview video player was enhanced to support unmetering (zero-rating) through network peering agreements with multiple Australian internet providers. The ISPs involved included Internode, iPrimus, Westnet, Apex Internet, and Adam Internet. Meanwhile, iiNet provided unmetered access to iview without requiring peering enhancements. Other providers like AARNet, Cinenet, and Comcen also offer zero-rated iview access. Initially, ABC TV live streaming and content delivered via platforms other than Adobe Flash (such as iPads and smart televisions) were excluded from unmetering, though this policy may be subject to change.
In October 2016, Optus integrated ABC iview into its zero-rating mobile plan for Optus subscribers, thereby broadening iview’s availability on mobile devices.