Sky and BBC Studios announced they are expanding their partnership with a multi-year, wide-ranging deal that gives Sky audiences access to the best British content across Sky, Neon, and the free-to-air channel Sky Open. BBC First will join the Sky channel line in October 2024, bringing a host of premium UK dramas to Sky customers, with selected content also available on Neon and Sky Open. BBC First joins BBC UKTV, BBC Earth, and CBeebies, alongside the BBC’s world-leading BBC News channel, giving Sky audiences access to thousands of hours of world-class British content from all genres with a mix of shows available across all Sky’s platforms.
BBC First will be home to the biggest dramas from the UK, premiering a mix of exciting new titles and the latest seasons of audience favorites. Showcasing the best in British storytelling, the channel will bring together the best British talent on and off screen. Among the titles coming to Sky audiences will be the hotly-anticipated detective thriller "The Jetty" starring Jenna Coleman, "Return to Paradise", the Australian spin-off of "Death in Paradise", and the second season of popular series "Beyond Paradise" starring Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton.
Sky Chief Executive Sophie Moloney provided details about the new partnership: “I’m delighted Sky customers will enjoy an expanded array of world-class British content through our renewed partnership with BBC Studios. We value what our customers value, and with UKTV being Sky’s number one entertainment channel with consistently high and growing viewership, we’re confident in the value this represents for customers. The renewed partnership also offers exclusive access to premium British drama on BBC First, which is a hugely exciting development. Importantly, these rights extend across our portfolio of entertainment products, meaning our customers can enjoy great British content in whatever way they choose."
BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand General Manager Fiona Lang referred to the alignment between the audience in New Zealand and British content: “We are delighted to grow our longstanding partnership with Sky with the addition of this stellar channel. New Zealand audiences have proven to have a huge appetite for British shows, and we’re pleased to be able to partner with Sky to offer their customers more of what they want - the full suite of the best of the BBC, from kids to entertainment, news, documentaries, and drama."
Under the deal, Sky’s number one entertainment channel, BBC UKTV, will continue to offer audiences a curated selection of the best British entertainment, including soap juggernauts "EastEnders" and "Casualty," fan favorite quiz-coms "8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown", "QI" and "Would I Lie to You" and celebrity chat shows "The Jonathan Ross Show" and "The Graham Norton Show". Sky audiences can also access world-class factual shows from the most inspiring and passionate experts in the world on BBC Earth with titles like "Where The Wild Men Are" and "Life Below Zero", while pre-schoolers can laugh as they learn along with their favorite friends "Hey Duggee", "Bluey and Sarah" and "Duck on CBeebies."
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