diff --git a/youtube_dl/extractor/brightcove.py b/youtube_dl/extractor/brightcove.py
index 66fe0ac9ad..63577a3cb9 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/extractor/brightcove.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/extractor/brightcove.py
@@ -55,6 +55,18 @@ class BrightcoveIE(InfoExtractor):
                 u'uploader': u'Mashable',
             },
         },
+        {
+            # test that the default referer works
+            # from http://national.ballet.ca/interact/video/Lost_in_Motion_II/
+            u'url': u'http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid756015033001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAApYJi_Ck~,GxhXCegT1Dp39ilhXuxMJxasUhVNZiil&bctid=2878862109001',
+            u'info_dict': {
+                u'id': u'2878862109001',
+                u'ext': u'mp4',
+                u'title': u'Lost in Motion II',
+                u'description': u'md5:363109c02998fee92ec02211bd8000df',
+                u'uploader': u'National Ballet of Canada',                
+            },
+        },
     ]
 
     @classmethod
@@ -118,17 +130,21 @@ def _real_extract(self, url):
 
         videoPlayer = query.get('@videoPlayer')
         if videoPlayer:
-            return self._get_video_info(videoPlayer[0], query_str, query)
+            return self._get_video_info(videoPlayer[0], query_str, query,
+                # We set the original url as the default 'Referer' header
+                referer=url)
         else:
             player_key = query['playerKey']
             return self._get_playlist_info(player_key[0])
 
-    def _get_video_info(self, video_id, query_str, query):
+    def _get_video_info(self, video_id, query_str, query, referer=None):
         request_url = self._FEDERATED_URL_TEMPLATE % query_str
         req = compat_urllib_request.Request(request_url)
         linkBase = query.get('linkBaseURL')
         if linkBase is not None:
-            req.add_header('Referer', linkBase[0])
+            referer = linkBase[0]
+        if referer is not None:
+            req.add_header('Referer', referer)
         webpage = self._download_webpage(req, video_id)
 
         self.report_extraction(video_id)