Overview
- The Financial Times first reported the talks, which Variety and Deadline say could lead to an announcement as soon as next week, while the BBC and YouTube declined to comment.
- Plans call for dedicated short- and long-form series made for BBC YouTube channels, with select titles later available on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
- The arrangement, as reported, would permit advertising on programs viewed outside the UK, maintain ad-free viewing domestically, formalize links with BBC Studios, and may place a limited number of older series on YouTube.
- Executives intend to reach younger audiences who increasingly watch on YouTube, which Barb measured at 51.9 million UK viewers in December versus the BBC’s roughly 51 million.
- Some insiders question whether the initiative will be profitable, with one source telling Deadline the priority is audience reach rather than immediate returns.