Content from BBC, ITV and Channels 4 and 5 will be linked through all their players – and iPlayer looks set to benefit most

If the BBC's successful iPlayer wasn't already seen as the home of online catch-up TV, then it may have cemented that position on Thursday.

The iPlayer, which catered to more than 162m programme requests last month, will now link to catch-up TV from rival broadcasters, including ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and S4C. A small but significant move, if a little overdue (it was announced in May).

Paul Clark, head of "audience-facing services" within programmes and on-demand at BBC FM&T, says: "More broadly, we think BBC Online should serve as a hub to support other UK sites and want to double the traffic we send externally.

"Given the popularity of BBC iPlayer, we hope this feature will support fellow broadcasters and boost the overall uptake of video on demand."

But will the iPlayer's new partner-linking policy inflate 4oD et al's viewing figures? Well, it's not too much of a stretch to think that some folk will go to the iPlayer in search of Coronation Street or Embarrassing Bodies.

Robin Pembrooke, the managing director of ITV.com, wouldn't be drawn on predictions. He said: "We know that ITV shows are some of the most popular and searched-for TV content on the web and we are delighted that viewers will now be able to be directed to our content on ITV Player via BBC iPlayer. We can also confirm today that viewers will be able to see ITV Player search results on Virgin Media's V Player. Our aim is to make our content easily accessible when and where our viewers want it and pursuing partnerships such as these is part of this strategy".

BBC iPlayer requests from the last 24 months – certainly plenty of love to spread around

What does well on the iPlayer? Come Fly With Me (peak catch-up requests last month at 1.8m), Top Gear (peak: 1m requests), EastEnders (peak: 695,000), Hustle (650,000), and Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents (590,000). With the exception of Top Gear, perhaps, you can find a similar roster on any of the other channels.

The ITV Player, meanwhile, is thought to have coaxed in about 10.6m video views last month – only about 1.5m views more than what six episodes of Come Fly With Me did for the iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer usage in January 2011. Source: BBC iPlayer Performance Pack, January 2011

We also know that iPlayer usage peaks at around 10pm – when Alan Carr and The Joy of Teen Sex boot up Channel 4, while the News at Ten quietens ITV down for the night. That said, the appetite for live streaming TV on the iPlayer is around a tenth of catch-up popularity.

It's a significant move for the BBC, but its impact on fellow broadcasters remains pure theory. Something to revisit in coming weeks.