The only pay is Essex, according to ITV. The broadcaster will test payments for its online services before the end of the year, but in the meantime ITV Player catch-up is now available for free on freesat.
ITV Player lets you catch up with shows from ITV, ITV 2, ITV 3 and ITV 4, including Emmerdale, Corrie, The Only Way is Essex and the Jeremy Kyle Show. There's some good stuff on there too, we're sure.
ITV bosses believe fans of quality programmes such as Cops with Cameras, Homes Under the Hammer and Dinner Date will be so keen to get their latest fix of alliterative docu-tosh they'll pay for the privilege. Hey, alliteration is fun!
ITV plans to test micropayments before the end of the year to find out what people are prepared to pay for, and how much. ITV's online video is growing -- 180 million videos played in the first half of the year -- but the channel wants to cut down its reliance on pre-roll ads, those adverts that play before your programme starts.
ITV is involved in YouView, the standard for online telly currently being developed by the five terrestrial channels and a handful of Internet service providers. ITV catch-up and on-demand will be available via YouView, but it does involve getting yet another set-top box -- and ITV will charge for watching.
The three terrestrial commercial channels recently suffered a blow in the online space in their fight with TVCatchup. The High Court ruled TVCatchup is within the law to stream live telly online, although the case continues in European court.
You'll find ITV Player on Channel 903 on your freesat box, if you have a Humax box. Other freesat set-top boxes will get ITV Player in coming months. The service is also available on the PlayStation 3 and your iPhone or iPad and Android phone or tablet with a free app.
Update: We've spoken to ITV about the plans for payments, which at this stage don't include catch-up. The online telly you'll need to pay for is likely to include webisodes and other extra content rather than stuff that has already been aired.
- For all the latest telly news, clips and videos, channel-surf over to our sister site TV.com.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 11
Add your comment
Green 27 July, 2011 16:01
I've never used ITV Player, even when it's free. Frankly, I count it as a blessing when I miss any ITV show. Surely their failure to generate any revenue from this will only validate the futility of them having an online catch-up service in the first place.
Anonymous 27 July, 2011 16:13
To be honest the only things I watch on ITV in any given year are Champions League Football and X Factor. Granted its a better channel than channel 5, but only just.
Nobody in their right mind will pay for catch up TV from ITV! They must be deluded!
jayce35 27 July, 2011 16:25
maybe if they made decent programs id consider paying but the crap they put on at the moment especially anything to do with that Jordan. you could not pay me enough money to watch junk like that
Anonymous 27 July, 2011 16:26
Paying for catch-up TV actually predates getting it for free, at least in the UK—think back to the original Channel 4 on-demand service, complete with clunky proprietary software! It wasn't particularly successful and I doubt this will be either; I'll put up with ads around a programme I missed/forgot to record, but am not prepared to pay 99p (or perhaps ever more) for the privilege.
(Especially if DRM means you don't even get to keep the file after a couple of weeks!)
Junel 27 July, 2011 16:30
Pay for ITV Catch Up Service. I'd rather not watch ITV ... Oh wait, I don't, they produce rubbish. Simples!
Anonymous 27 July, 2011 16:43
i'll be taking that app off the old ipad then
Anonymous 28 July, 2011 10:29
If this affects live or catchup then it will dropped like a hot potato. ITV need to balance paying for the cost of the service vs dissaffecting their user base. The users base will drop but like the Times it may still cover the cost. But If you'r only reaching 2% of potential users is it worthwhile. Adverts are a pain but I would put up with them to have the service. Channel 4 said they were going to do the same with their app but yet to see this materialise. Yet again the viewer is being treated like a cash-cow to milk! Now if only TV Catchup recorded!
Anonymous 28 July, 2011 12:08
I think this is a brilliant idea. Wonder if the TV executives will take the hint if much of their so called prime time viewing is NEVER "bought" or as previously suggested will they use the lack of cash generation as justification for closing the service altogether.
HEY, hope they widen the scope of pay per view and only give the programme makers what they earn from ppv - should force a change back to proper scheduling and fewer channels with some quality programmes.
Now if only we could get the BBC to stop trying to be all things to all men and concentrate on PSB with some entertainment (i.e. not aimed at 10year olds who need to hear again what the presenter said B4 the last commercial break because those are now so long there's time to forget what happened B4 in the same programme).
Anonymous 29 July, 2011 22:36
It was only when I read this I realised that I rarely watch ITV and have never used catch up for ITV although I regularly use the BBC and channel 4 offerings! They need to improve their programmes before they start charging!
Anonymous 2 August, 2011 00:34
LMAO at the "Quality Programme" examples given. Dream on ITV - hurry up and die like the relic from the past you are.
ace9988 16 August, 2011 23:00
the whole point of us paying TV license is so that we don't have to pay for services like that...pssshhh useless ITV, they want tv license cash, advertising cash too, and now they want cash for the iplayer thats interrupted with adverts??? as if it wasn't bad enough they now expect us to pay for it. I guess that's what youtube and dailymotion are for