Starting early next year, Channel 4 will start forcing users to sign up for an account to actually use the All 4 service when accessing shows to watch on demand. The BBC started making using a BBC ID a requirement for accessing BBC iPlayer back in May this year and that was in order to better regulate the broadcast of their content as well as making sure people pay their TV licence.

Like the BBC, Channel 4 want to make sure every user is logged but the reasoning behind it is very different. Channel 4 will just want to make sure that the advertising is targeted or even personalised to the watcher.

“From next year every All 4 advertising opportunity will be personalised or targeted”

Johnathan Lewis, Channel 4 exec

Other platforms

Users who watch All 4 using Sky or a Virgin catchup system won’t be affected by this change or will even need to make an account as Channel 4 have no direct control over these.

Source: Channel 4 Press