Project Canvas rebrands as YouView

Project Canvas officially rebrands as YouView today as the seven partners in the venture, which aims to bring video-on-demand programming and services to Freeview and Freesat, officially incorporate as a separate 100-strong company.

The seven partners – the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, TalkTalk, BT, Arqiva and Channel 5 – have now formed YouView TV Ltd, pledging about £18m each to cover the first four years of operation from April 2010.

YouView has said it expects to launch sometime before July 2011, despite companies including Virgin Media submitting complaints to Ofcom to try to block the service. It is thought that beta testing of the service is likely to start in the first quarter of 2011.

Kip Meek, the YouView chairman, said the incorporation of the company was a "major watershed" for the venture, which in the first instance is targeting the 7m Freeview households that have broadband access.

Richard Halton, who MediaGuardian.co.uk revealed earlier today would be confirmed as YouView's chief executive, said the service was essential because "Freeview risked being left behind" in terms of what it could offer consumers compared with rival platforms.

"It is a balance against pay TV platforms, YouView is for those who decided not to pay [for a pay TV service], or can't pay... the first core market we are targeting is those homes," Halton added. "For them to have a really fantastic subscription-free option [to access catch-up and VoD content] is as important as basic Freeview was in the past."

The platform will also allow paid-content offerings and Halton said there had been a lot of interest from production companies and broadcasters, including The X Factor producer FremantleMedia and ITV, about the prospect of micropayments. The Fremantle boss, Tony Cohen, and ITV chief executive Adam Crozier have both publicly talked of exploring micropayment models.

However, Halton said other content owners including newspaper groups have also expressed an interest in launching services on the platform and that the company intends to launch a section on the new YouView website to fully engage with prospective content partners.

Consumers will be able to get YouView by buying a set top box. Prices are yet to be set but it is thought they might retail for about £200, or be bundled as part of a subsidised offer from internet service providers.

During the autumn YouView will also look to develop a coherent policy on how the electronic programming guide should work, to allow "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory" positioning of channels, although linear TV placings are already determined under current broadcasting rules, with Ofcom as moderator.

Meek said he was comfortable with YouView's chances of making it to launch, despite opposition in some quarters. "I can rest very easily at night thinking this is a service that is going to be pro-competitive," he added.

YouView will not look to sign up any more equity partners ahead of launch, but may look to do so afterwards. Staff numbers are expected to drop back to about 40 to 50 post-launch once the majority of the heavy-lifting of programming and development is complete.

The new company logo, which has echoes of the title graphics for the first Star Wars movie, has been developed by ad agency RKCR. Halton said a number of brand names had been considered but that the development costs had "not been significant".

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