BBC releases 10-episode Doctor Who box set as a $12 BitTorrent Bundle

The BBC launched an exclusive BitTorrent Bundle today to mark the 10-year anniversary of the new Doctor Who, spanning 10 of the series’ best episodes as well as video commentary from the 12th Doctor, Peter Capaldi. You can download A Decade of the Doctor now for $12.

BitTorrent first launched Bundle back in May 2013 with the hope of giving artists control over how they distribute their content and how they connect with their fans. Since then, more than 30,000 publishers have joined the platform (including big names like Lady Gaga, Linkin Park, and Madonna), and BitTorrent says it now provides over 2 million licensed, legal titles to over 170 million fans.

In the case of paygated Bundles, fans can unlock content through a direct payment to the artist, and artists still keep all the associated fan data just like with regular Bundles (number of impressions and downloads, as well as stream information and email addresses). In Doctor Who’s case, two videos are available for free: Peter Capaldi’s introduction to the bundle, and the first episode in the first series (Rose Preview).

After you pay $12, you get the following videos:

10 Episodes from 2005 – 2014
01 Rose (Series 1, Episode 1)
02 The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances (Series 1, Episode 9)
03 The Girl in the Fireplace (Series 2, Episode 4)
04 Blink (Series 3, Episode 10)
05 The End of Time (Special 2-Part Episode, 2009)
06 The Vampires of Venice (Series 5, Episode 6)
07 The Doctor’s Wife (Series 6, Episode 4)
08 The Rings of Akhaten (Series 7, Episode 7)
09 The Day of the Doctor (50th Anniversary Special, 2013)
10 Listen (Series 8, Episode 4)

An Introduction to New Who
01 Rose: Peter Capaldi Introduction
02 The Girl in the Fireplace: Peter Capaldi Introduction
03 Blink: Peter Capaldi Introduction
04 The Vampires of Venice: Peter Capaldi Introduction
05 The Rings of Akhaten: Peter Capaldi Introduction

The bundle also includes two special features: the 2014 movie Earth Conquest and Rose’s original script (PDF).

The BBC’s 10-year anniversary bundle for Doctor Who is the first major network distribution partnership with BitTorrent Bundle. It is also the first time a collection of episodic content is being delivered via the platform.

Julia Kenyon, director of drama brands at BBC Worldwide, explains why her company chose this platform: “This innovative deal with BitTorrent allows us to directly reach a huge number of consumers and engage with fans on a global and fast-growing digital platform. Music content has seen tremendous success through BitTorrent Bundle, and this deal is the first of its kind for British TV content.”

BBC is taking the risk, while BitTorrent is the clear winner: Snagging a show as globally popular as Doctor Who to promote BitTorrent Bundle will undoubtedly pay off. The company keeps 10 percent of all the revenue generated by every Bundle, but the press around this deal will be worth a lot more than that.