TV3 HAS BECOME the first Irish national broadcaster to allow viewers watch its shows on the iPhone and iPad, as well as online.

The independent station today launched 3player, a video-on-demand website. The site allows users to watch shows including Tonight with Vincent Browne, X Factor, Xposé and The Apprentice on smartphones and tablet devices.

Managers at the station said the new platform also offers a bigger screen and higher video quality, as well as linkups with social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Previously it was possible to watch some TV3 shows online via a computer, but not on smartphones or tablets.

In a statement, the broadcaster said video on demand is a rapidly growing market and has doubled in size over the last year in the UK. It added that the Irish market is projected to be worth more than €10million by 2015. Ads will be played before viewers can access some programmes.

Stephen Grant, director of TV3′s online operations, said: “Our investment in this new, richer environment for catching up with our great content reiterates TV3 commitment to bringing our viewers the best possible entertainment experience, whether they prefer to watch on TV or online on PCs or mobile devices.”

RTÉ launched its own online player in 2009, but it does not currently function on iPhone or iPad.