Audiences across Japan can watch the BBC News channel on U-NEXT, the first and only international news brand offered to U-NEXT customers. The channel will be available 24hrs a day in both English and Japanese (via simultaneous translation).
BBC News provides accurate, impartial and independent journalism to 414m people globally each week and is the world’s most trusted international news broadcaster. In Japan, the BBC News channel was recently listed in the top 15 news providers with the highest weekly usage and was the only international news brand within the list. BBC News is also the #1 international online news brand in Japan viewed daily. U-NEXT is Japan's leading video streaming platform, currently providing the largest volume of SVOD content in Japan.
Currently BBC Studios and U-NEXT have a longstanding partnership to offer a wide range of content across multiple genres to Japanese audiences including premium factual documentaries, popular returning drama series and world class children's programming from the BBC catalogue, available in Japanese language. Earlier this year BBC Studios and U-NEXT renewed their partnership to include beloved children’s programmes like Sarah and Duck and Go Jetters as well as English language learning series Yakka Dee.
Phil Hardman, SVP & General Manager at BBC Studios Asia understands the agreement as a broader strategy regarding the broadcaster's penetration into Japan.: “We’re delighted to expand our partnership with U-NEXT and bring the BBC News channel, including its groundbreaking documentaries, to our audiences in both English and Japanese. The BBC continues to report impartially and without fear or favour on global events and we know our journalism is greatly trusted in Japan. BBC Studios has ambitious plans in Japan, working closely with our valued partners, and this marks a significant step forward for our BBC News brand by adding it to our existing partnership with U-NEXT," stated.
Meanwhile, Tenshin Tsutsumi, President and Representative Director of U-NEXT, demonstrated the company's enthusiasm for being able to bring BBC content to large audiences: “We are very pleased to announce the launch of the international news broadcaster BBC News on the video distribution service U-NEXT, delivering global news 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in two languages. U-NEXT has been expanding entertainment content such as movies, dramas and animations, while also enhancing high-quality documentary and news content as a service to offer ‘what's happening now’. We will also be delivering global, high-quality documentary programmes that only the BBC can offer to our Japanese audience. Please enjoy," explained.