BBC says over 17 mln programmes watched on iPlayer

LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Over 17 million programmes were watched or downloaded on demand via the BBC's iPlayer catch-up service in the first seven weeks since its full launch, the corporation said on Wednesday.

BBC [BBC.UL] Director General Mark Thompson has described the arrival of the iPlayer as on a level with the introduction of the first colour television broadcasts in the 1960s, and its early takeup has impressed many analysts.

The publicly funded corporation said daily volumes increased strongly during January and February, with over 2.2 million people watching a programme on the service in the first month of the year.

The iPlayer is a free on-demand service which allows viewers watch programmes they have missed in the past week. It is also part of the industry's bid to keep younger people watching traditionally made programmes, as more turn to the Internet for their entertainment instead of TV.

In Britain it faces competition from similar services provided by Channel 4 and ITV (ITV.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and from popular video-sharing sites such as YouTube.

Programmes that performed well on the service included the opening game of the Six Nations rugby tournament between England and Wales and dramas including Ashes to Ashes and Life in Cold Blood.

The corporation will also produce branded entertainment channels showing BBC clips on Yahoo (YHOO.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Internet technology firm Blinkx (BLNX.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and MSN, with the clips clicking through to the iPlayer for the full programme. (Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Erica Billingham)