First made available through the console's Internet Channel in April 2008, BBC iPlayer will now be available as a dedicated Wii Channel to provide Wii users with a new, richer experience of the BBC's TV and radio on-demand catch-up service.

The new Wii Channel is expected to be available from 12.01am on Wednesday 18 November.

Since BBC iPlayer first launched on the Nintendo Wii, there have been 900,000 requests for TV and radio programmes, and this new version of BBC iPlayer for Wii has been designed to deliver a better and higher quality experience, with a new full-screen user interface allowing the whole family to catch up on TV and radio together in the lounge.

Erik Huggers, Director, BBC Future Media & Technology, said: "We're pleased that we've been able to work with Nintendo to evolve BBC iPlayer on the Wii, providing a faster, high quality and improved viewing experience.

"It's important that we offer audiences more ways to access the huge range of BBC content available, and this improved version of BBC iPlayer underlines our commitment to reaching new audiences by making BBC iPlayer available on as many platforms as possible."

David Yarnton, General Manager, Nintendo UK, added: "Our partnership with the BBC is another way in which Nintendo is looking to broaden the market for its products by offering compelling and relevant content to families.

"BBC iPlayer offers Wii owners another reason to turn their console on everyday and adds to the already established non-gaming content on Wii that includes Wii Channels for news, weather forecasts and an internet browser."

To use the new BBC iPlayer on Nintendo's Wii, Wii users should download the BBC iPlayer Wii Channel from the menu screen of Wii Shop Channel. Once downloaded, users simply click on the BBC iPlayer icon to launch the new full screen service, then select and play their favourite BBC TV or radio programme that they want to watch.

BBC iPlayer can now be accessed on an increasing number of different platforms and devices, including mobile phones, TVs and gaming consoles.

The Nintendo's Wii users will incur no charge for downloading the BBC iPlayer Wii channel. As the BBC iPlayer Wii channel is only available in the United Kingdom, Nintendo Wii users should make sure their Wii is set to the UK.

There are currently nearly six million Wii consoles in homes across the UK (Data courtesy of Chart Track GfK, Annual Consoles By Format, Week 45 Year 2009. Week ending 7 November 2009. Copyright Chart Track GfK 2009).