LONDON, February 29, 2024 – Teh BBC is poised to announce a groundbreaking content partnership with YouTube, marking a notable shift in how the British broadcaster approaches a platform that has been steadily attracting its audience.

A New Strategy for a Changing Landscape

The BBC will create original programs specifically for YouTube, alongside continuing to feature them on iPlayer and Sounds.

  • The BBC will produce shows designed to premiere on YouTube, a departure from its traditional focus on iPlayer.
  • This move allows the BBC to generate revenue through advertising outside the UK, supplementing its license fee funding.
  • Content will target younger audiences, including programs similar to those on BBC Three, children’s programming, and sports-related shows.
  • The partnership aims to combat misinformation by developing news formats for YouTube.

What impact will this partnership have on the BBC’s revenue streams? The BBC will be able to increase its income by displaying advertisements alongside the new programs when they are viewed outside of the United Kingdom. This will provide a boost to the funding received from the television license fee, which currently provides the majority of financial support for the corporation. Currently, the BBC does not generate revenue through advertising for its public service broadcasting content, even when it is indeed shown on third-party platforms.

Previously, the BBC utilized YouTube primarily to share trailers and clips to promote its shows within the UK. The decision to create content specifically for YouTube underscores the challenges traditional broadcasters face in competing with the financial strength of U.S. streaming giants like Netflix and Disney, as well as YouTube itself.

Individuals close to the negotiations revealed that the programs created for YouTube will be geared towards younger viewers-a demographic that increasingly relies on YouTube as their primary source of television content. This includes content similar to that typically found on BBC Three, as well as children’s programming and sports-related shows.

Did you no? In December, YouTube surpassed the BBC’s combined channels in viewership within the UK for the first time, with approximately 52 million viewers compared to the BBC’s nearly 51 million (based on viewers watching for more then three minutes), according to Barb.

News formats are also being developed for YouTube, one source said, as part of an effort to combat the spread of misinformation and “fake news” on social media.

This agreement comes at a time when the BBC is defending itself against a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump, alleging misleading editing of his speech from January 6, 2021, the day of the U.S. Capitol riot.

The deal is expected to encompass both the BBC’s domestic public service broadcasting operations and to formalize existing relationships with its commercially-focused BBC Studios. While a limited selection of older series may also become available on YouTube, sources indicate that this is not the primary focus of the agreement.

The shift in viewership was highlighted by data from Barb, which showed that in December, approximately 52 million people in the UK watched YouTube on televisions, smartphones, and laptops, exceeding the nearly 51 million who watched the BBC, based on viewers who watched for more than three minutes.Younger audiences are increasingly accessing YouTube content through apps on internet-connected televisions, making it a more direct competitor to traditional broadcasters.

Several media executives believe that further partnerships and even consolidation within the industry are certain. Netflix has already established a partnership with French broadcaster TF1 to offer both linear and on-demand content, while ITV and Disney are cross-promoting their respective streaming services.

In the UK, ITV and Comcast’s Sky are anticipated to argue that the strength of platforms like YouTube supports their proposed £1.6 billion merger, seeking approval from competition authorities. BBC executives have previously stated the need for partnerships with other public-sector broadcasters to effectively compete with global streaming services, exploring options ranging from shared back-office services to more aspiring ideas, such as merging BBC channels with Channel 4.

The BBC and YouTube have both declined to provide comment on the matter.