The BBC is fighting back against the government's aggressive TV licence fee budget by promising to open up several of its services, including its much admired iPlayer streaming platform, to third-party content creators. The broadcaster also wants to introduce new Internet-led streaming services such as BBC Newstream, a video-led mobile news channel, and iPlay, a version of iPlayer designed for children.

In addition, the BBC hopes to offset its slimmer budget by offering premium content alongside its free offering for TV licence fee payers. This would include experimenting with launching entire seasons of programming at once online, much in the way that Netflix does, to allow for "binge watching." Other types of programming could be offered, too, and while the BBC notes that its iPlayer platform is the most likely candidate for distributing this new content, "there are other ideas too," which it is currently discussing with potential partners.

While these new offerings—which also include a new digital music discovery service, and further investment in the BBC World Service in places where there is a "democratic deficit in impartial news"—could prove costly, the BBC is promising to fund them without requiring additional investment. In a speech at the Science Museum in London today, Director-General Tony Hall explained that the BBC would have "tough choices ahead."

"Let me stress: this is not an expansionist BBC," Hall said. "We are offering a BBC producing the highest-quality programmes and delivering services that provide great value for money ... No one should doubt that the budget settlement announced by the Chancellor in his July Budget will mean some very difficult choices ahead. Having already saved 40 percent of the BBC’s revenues in this Charter period, we must save close to another 20 percent over the next five years. Our share of TV revenues in the UK will fall, most likely, from about 20 percent now to some 12 percent by the end of the charter."

The Director-General also tackled recent criticisms levelled at the BBC, which claimed that it spent too much time and money on "mainstream" entertainment such as Strictly Come Dancing, and The Voice. "Is anyone seriously going to propose to licence fee payers that their fee should only go to the niche programmes and services, that we should stop doing all the things they love most?" he said. "What makes the BBC work is precisely the combination of popular programming with the depth and range that only a public service provider can guarantee."

While the BBC says it will remain committed to its broad entertainment offering, it is also promising to develop more unique content by partnering with filmmakers and other content producers. The broadcaster hopes that it will become a "magnet for creativity," offering creatives the "freedom to do things" they would find hard to do elsewhere. "We are going to take risks, push boundaries, try new things," Hall added. "Not be afraid of controversy. Investigate. Experiment. Innovate."

Part of this new strategy will include opening up the BBC to other news providers in order to promote local journalism, and to set aside licence fee funding to invest in reports on councils, courts, and public services. Perhaps the most interesting development is the proposed Ideas Service, which the BBC is calling an "open online platform" dedicated to the arts and sciences. The Ideas Service will host content from the BBC as well as well as other cultural institutions, including the British Museum, Edinburgh festivals, and the Science Museum.

"Where Google’s mission is to organise the world's information, ours, in a smaller way, would be to understand it," said Hall in his speech. "We know that the BBC’s year of science in 2010 led directly to an increase in applications to study science at university. Now we want to go further. We want to help raise the number of people who experience arts events each year... like Stargazing Live, it will only be possible if millions of people watch, tens of thousands contribute and a huge range of UK institutions have the chance to be part of it."

Despite the BBC's grand online plans, it's under no illusion that the next few years will be an uphill struggle, thanks in part to recent cuts.

"Our size relative to the giants of the media world is small and over the next decade will diminish both relatively and absolutely," said Hall. "The BBC faces a very tough financial challenge. So we will have to manage our resources ever more carefully and prioritise what we believe the BBC should offer. We will inevitably have to either close or reduce some services."