How to Download BBC iPlayer Videos to Watch Offline?

Patrick 11/03/2025

Cleverget Video Downloader

756 views

As the most reputable broadcasting service, BBC provides an online streaming service for users to watch BBC TV and radio programmes online. You can find almost all BBC programmes shortly after they air here. Similar to most streaming apps, BBC iPlayer supports video downloads for offline viewing. So how to download BBC iPlayer videos? This guide will provide two BBC iPlayer download methods. Just check them out.

Part 1: Can I access BBC iPlayer downloads?

Initially, the BBC iPlayer download feature was available on its desktop and mobile apps. However, given the low number of people using the desktop application and the huge cost of maintenance, BBC has decommissioned the application for PC and Mac. Users can still watch live and on-demand programmes on their desktop computers through the BBC iPlayer website. Just keep in mind that the BBC iPlayer download feature is not available on the website.

So where can you download BBC programmes and on-demand videos? You can download from BBC iPlayer app on mobile and tablet devices. Generally, BBC iPlayer is free to use with a TV license. It is worth noting that the downloaded videos are available for playing within the BBC iPlayer app only.

So how to download BBC iPlayer videos for offline playback? Is there another way to download BBC videos on desktop devices? Read on to find more specifics.

Part 2: How can I Download BBC iPlayer programmes to Watch Offline?

As introduced earlier, the BBC iPlayer download feature is available on mobile devices only, based on the official announcement. But worry not. There is always a workaround. In this part, we will introduce how to download BBC iPlayer videos on desktop and mobile devices. Just read on.

How to download BBC iPlayer programmes on PC

If you want to download BBC iPlayer on-demand videos on your desktop computer, the only solution is to use a third-party video downloader. Here, CleverGet Video Downloader is your No.1 choice, which can help you easily download videos from BBC iPlayer on your Windows and macOS.

Supporting a bunch of websites, such as Twitter/X, Instagram and facebook, the top-notch video downloader allows you to download videos from BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Facebook, and many more. It’s the most sophisticated video downloader that can help you download BBC iPlayer videos with the highest quality possible.

BBC iPlayer download to MP4/MKV

CleverGet Video Downloader allows you to download from BBC iPlayer to MP4/MKV on your desktop computers. You can watch downloaded videos on any device offline without the BBC iPlayer app. If you want to watch BBC iPlayer videos when traveling abroad, this is also the simplest solution.

Remove DRM for BBC iPlayer downloads

BBC iPlayer restricts video downloads to the app because of copyright protection. But worry not. CleverGet Video Downloader can remove the DRM (Digital Rights Management) and save them as local video files for unrestricted offline playback.

BBC iPlayer download Quality Retained

With robust encoding and decoding capabilities, CleverGet Video Downloader can save videos with up to 1080p quality. It flawlessly captures every frame of a video, preserving all audio and visual elements. You can watch BBC iPlayer videos without quality loss.

Easy download Audio tracks/subtitles

CleverGet Video Downloader will embed audio tracks and subtitles in the downloaded videos. Additionally, you can manually add subtitles to videos by saving them as SRT or SUB files.

BBC iPlayer download in bulk

CleverGet Video Downloader's multi-threading processing technologies let you batch add all the BBC iPlayer videos you want to download. Along with GPU hardware acceleration (if supported), you can save multiple videos efficiently.

Here’s how to download BBC iPlayer videos with CleverGet Video Downloader.

Step 1: Download CleverGet Video Downloader

Choose your device type (Windows/macOS) and install CleverGet Video Downloader for free.

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• CleverGet Video Downloader

  - Enable users to download online videos, movies, TV shows, live streams, etc. from 1000+ websites.
  - Detect M3U8 links intelligently with an inherent browser to download videos.
  - Download up to 8K video and audio at 320 kbps without quality loss.
  - Support to download TV series episodes of all/certain seasons in batches.
  - Download online video to MP4/MKV/WEBM or other available popular formats.

  DownloadDownload

Step 2: Set Output Directory

Adjust the output folder before you download BBC iPlayer video. To do this, head to the Settings icon > General to modify it.

Step 3: Locate BBC videos

Visit BBC iPlayer and play the video you wish to download. Click on the Download arrow in the bottom right to make CleverGet Video Downloader parse video sources.

Step 4: Download BBC video

After a while, you will see a window popping up. Here you can find all the download options of different resolutions, frame rates, and sizes. Choose one to make BBC iPlayer downloads.

That’s how to download from BBC iPlayer to MP4. You can download three videos from BBC iPlayer with CleverGet Video Downloader for free. Want to download all your favorite movies and shows from BBC iPlayer? Just go premium to unlock the limits.

How to download BBC iPlayer programmes on mobile

Alternatively, you can use the BBC iPlayer download feature with the app. Only the app can play those downloaded videos. If that’s what you want, follow the steps below to download from BBC iPlayer.

Step 1. Open the BBC iPlayer and find the video you want to download.

Step 2. Navigate to the programme description and tap on the Download button. Go to the bottom menu and select the Downloads menu to find the downloaded videos.

Step 3. To delete a download, just tap on the “Edit” button. You can swipe left on the download to remove it with the bin icon or select multiple episodes to remove all downloads.

Note: Not all the programmes and videos are available for download. You can not download programmes that are currently broadcasting. If a programme has just become available, the availability for downloads might be delayed as well. You can check and try again later.

Part 3: FAQs

While the BBC iPlayer download feature is handy enough, it is restricted in the app only. Still have more questions regarding the BBC iPlayer? Here are some frequently asked questions.

1. Can I access BBC iPlayer outside the UK?

No. You can not watch BBC iPlayer videos outside the UK due to rights agreements. If you want to watch BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer when traveling abroad, the only way is to download the videos beforehand.

There are still a few BBC services available when you travel outside of the UK, and they are: BBC Sounds via the Sounds app, BBC Podcasts, BBC News, BBC Sport, and BBC Three YouTube channel.

2. Is it free to use BBC iPlayer?

BBC iPlayer is a free service, and the TV license covers the cost. But if you stream BBC iPlayer with your mobile network, there might be additional costs incurred. You can contact your mobile operator to learn more about the data costs.

3. How much space do downloads take up?

The storage space of the downloaded BBC iPlayer videos depends on the video quality. For high-quality downloads, a video might take from 315MB (30 minutes) to 630MB (60 minutes). For standard quality downloads, a video might take up 160MB (30 minutes) to 320MB (60 minutes).

Occasionally, you might find your mobile storage space is not enough for downloads. In this case, it’s recommended to download videos from BBC iPlayer to MP4. So you can save the videos on devices like your computer, hard drives, mobile devices, and more.

Conclusion

How to download BBC iPlayer videos? You can either make it with the BBC iPlayer download feature on mobile devices or download videos on your desktop computers with CleverGet Video Downloader. If you want to keep the videos forever, CleverGet Video Downloader remains your best choice. It can download BBC iPlayer videos as MP4 files that can be transferred to any device for unrestricted playback. Just try it for free!