A decade of innovation
BFBS today celebrates the tenth anniversary of its MiPlayer platform, the powerful service created to keep UK Armed Forces connected to home and entertainment, when they’re serving in the most remote and hostile environments.
What began in January 2016 as a modest onboard system delivering ten TV channels and six radio stations to HMS Iron Duke has grown into one of BFBS’ most significant and far-reaching innovations, now operating across the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary fleets, operational bases, remote islands and soon, even on submarines.
Reflecting on the milestone, Nick Beer, Director of BFBS Development and Strategy, said:
“MiPlayer started as a bold idea to solve a seemingly impossible problem: how do you bring home to people serving in the most remote and demanding environments on Earth? And how do you do that in the way users demand: on their personal devices and with catchup when there is little or no internet available?
Ten years later, the platform is doing exactly that, whether on land, at sea, in the air, and now beneath the waves. It has grown into far more than a platform; delivering the outstanding range of content BFBS provides it is a lifeline, a morale booster, and a constant reminder that no matter where our people serve, they are never truly cut off from home.”
MiPlayer’s journey from experimental idea to global lifeline gathered pace in 2017, when the platform was officially named and unveiled at DSEI (Defence and Security Equipment International). A live demonstration to senior military leaders at PJHQ (Permanent Joint Headquarters) later that year directly led to its first operational deployments in South Sudan, Iraq, and Somalia, followed by an international showcase at the Pacific Maritime Defence Symposium in Sydney.
Later in 2017, the platform crossed new frontiers through a unique collaboration with the Nepalese Government, delivering a bespoke MiPlayer Lite service to communities devastated by earthquakes and monsoon flooding. It became the platform’s first non-MOD deployment, its first non-English user interface, and the moment it proved its technology could be adapted to serve far beyond traditional defence audiences.
By 2018, the service had become an essential service for UK forces, expanding across the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, as well as operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Eastern Europe. Newspapers and magazines were added, the user experience refreshed, and later that year MiPlayer was rolled out across accommodation at UK Naval Support Facility Bahrain, delivering content to personal devices and televisions via the newly developed MiPlayer Set Top Box.
In 2020, the technology’s impact reached an entirely new dimension when it became a public service for the Falkland Islands Government, providing island-wide access to live and catch-up television and radio, including local broadcasters, entirely over the local network, without consuming internet capacity.
The next major leap came in 2023, when BFBS announced a development partnership between MiPlayer Edge and Eutelsat OneWeb, unlocking new ways to deliver rich media services through Low Earth Orbit satellites to the world’s most remote locations. MiPlayer Edge is now compatible with multiple LEO providers including Starlink and Amazon Kuiper, future-proofing the platform for decades to come.
Last year, the platform expanded again with new feature rails, including Forces Shorts and Inside Military Sport from BFBS Forces News, and Audio Podcasts and Specials from BFBS Radio, strengthening its role as the heartbeat of Forces life wherever service takes personnel.
And now, as the service enters its second decade, it is preparing for its most extraordinary frontier yet. In 2026 and beyond, the system is being integrated for use aboard Royal Navy submarines, with approval underway for current boats and inclusion already designed into future platforms, alongside the new Type 26 and Type 31 frigates.
As BFBS marks this ten-year anniversary, MiPlayer stands as one of the organisation’s proudest achievements, a constantly evolving service that continues to redefine what connection looks like for the UK Armed Forces, today, tomorrow and beyond.