# RTÉ Player vs BBC America

The clearest difference is rating: RTÉ Player at 4.7 against BBC America's 1.8. RTÉ Player also leads on review sentiment (46% vs 5%) and ratings volume (6.3K vs 589). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

RTÉ Player holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RTÉ Player has 6.3K ratings behind it against 589, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of RTÉ Player's written reviews are positive against 5% of BBC America's.

RTÉ Player ships an update every 3 weeks, BBC America monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RTÉ Player | BBC America |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rte-player/id484129073/reviews)** | [1.8 (589 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbc-america/id1089249069/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.3K** | 589 |
| Positive reviews | **46.1% of reviews** | 5.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 50 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [RTÉ](https://appshunter.io/developer/417236883) | [BBC America](https://appshunter.io/developer/1089249068) |

## What reviewers say

### RTÉ Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rte-player/id484129073)

Access a vast library of Irish television content, both live and on-demand. Stream popular dramas, sports, entertainment, and children's programs from RTÉ channels. Features include personalized recommendations, watchlists, and accessibility options.

**Highlights:** Live and on-demand TV streaming, Thousands of favorite RTÉ shows, Full series of dramas and soaps, Live sporting action, RTÉ Player Kids section, In-vision ISL and Audio Description, Personalized recommendations and watchlists

**In-app purchases:** none


### BBC America

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbc-america/id1089249069)

Stream full episodes of popular BBC America series like Killing Eve and Top Gear. Access video extras, sneak peeks, and live TV with your cable provider login. Resume watching where you left off.

**Highlights:** Full episode streaming, Video extras and sneak peeks, Live TV streaming, Cable/satellite provider login, Resume watching, Searchable library, Airplay/casting support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Great app for watching shows
- 🚀 Streams in high quality
- 👍 Straightforward and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🤯 Frustrating navigation and controls
- 💸 Too many ads and interruptions
- 🤔 Inconsistent content availability

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and sign-in problems
- Playback freezes and restarts randomly
- Closed captions not working as expected
- Casting and mirroring features broken

**Requested features**

- Add search and browse functionality
- Improve rewind/fast-forward controls
- Provide a paid ad-free subscription option
- Sync playback progress across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RTÉ Player free?

RTÉ Player is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BBC America free?

BBC America is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RTÉ Player or BBC America?

RTÉ Player is rated higher. RTÉ Player averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.3K ratings, while BBC America averages 1.8 from 589 ratings.

### Do RTÉ Player or BBC America have ads?

Both RTÉ Player and BBC America show ads.

### Which is updated more often, RTÉ Player or BBC America?

RTÉ Player ships an update every 3 weeks, and BBC America monthly. Most recently, RTÉ Player was updated on October 22, 2026 and BBC America on October 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*