In an exclusive interview with Media Week TV, Gary Digby, ITV's managing director of customer relations, revealed new details of the service and spoke of the challenge of making money in the digital space.
ITV.com launches as the BBC's governing body, the BBC Trust, gave final approval for the iPlayer, the corporation's proposed online seven-day catch-up TV service.
While the iPlayer will offer all of the BBC's output for seven days, aside from 15% of limited-run content that will be available for "series stacking", ITV.com will make its programmes available for 30 days.
Commenting on the different online trading mechanisms available to media owners, Digby cautioned: "The problem in the online marketplace is trying to monetise it and get people to buy it, because it's not measured by Barb. You can sell it on CPM, CPC or cost-per-acquisition, but you're not really trading in the same dynamic as when you trade on Barb information."
ITV's relaunched online offering will feature simulcast content, video-on-demand, a comprehensive archive, plus breaks going out in the middle of programmes that other broadband networks don't have. Users will be able to click on an ad to link through to an advertiser's web site, which the broadcaster also claims is not available anywhere else.
ITV.com will also offer specially commissioned behind-the-scenes footage, live streams and user- generated content, including a planned competition where people video themselves doing impressions of Coronations Street characters, with the winner taking part in an online show.
ITV.com recently extended its interactive drama plans, which include Emmerdale Murder, by applying a similar model to The Bill, encouraging viewers to log on to solve a murder plot line. It is expected the relaunched ITV.com will continue this trend with other TV series.
Advertisers who have already signed up to the service include Vodafone and Sony.
For full live interview, access www.mediaweek.tv from today.
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