The BBC has launched a “treasure trove” of its content from the last 60 years.

BBC Store is a new digital service that aims to give audiences easy access to their favourite BBC programmes.

The website allows users to download individual episodes, series or bundles of several series of the same show for a one-off payment, which can then be watched through BBC iPlayer in a new My Programmes area.

“We want BBC Store to do for digital ownership what BBC iPlayer did for catch up,” said Marcus Arthur, MD of BBC Worldwide and ANZ. “BBC Store makes digital ownership really easy for audiences and means that we can begin opening up the incredible BBC television archive.”

The new website will feature exclusive content, such as Top Gear: the Races, where Friends star Matt LeBlanc guides viewers through the show’s racing archive. It also offers access to classic BBC programmes such as David Attenborough series The Blue Planet and Andrew Davies’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Many programmes will be able to download the day after transmission, including Eastenders.

The store launches with 7000 hours of content available, with single episodes priced at £1.89, and series costing in the region of £9.99.