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BBC plans to launch streaming channels on Freevee

The content streams will include channels dedicated to game shows, science fiction and comedy.

The content streams will include channels dedicated to game shows, science fiction and comedy.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is set to launch five new streaming channels on Amazon’s free, ad-supported television service Freevee.

The five channels are scheduled to debut next Tuesday, and will include game shows, travel documentaries, comedy programs and science-fiction series from the BBC’s content library.

“With an extensive catalog spanning countless genres, we’re uniquely positioned to curate new entertainment experiences, that leverage the best of our fan-favored British content, for every type of audience,” Beth Anderson, the general manager and senior vice president of streaming sales in North America for the BBC, said in a statement this week. “As more and more viewers discover the joys of discovering classic TV shows on [free, ad-supported streaming television, or FAST] platforms, we’re delighted to debut our new suite of customized channels on Amazon Freevee in the U.S”

Anderson said free, ad-supported platforms like Freevee were “becoming a larger part of the TV viewing landscape, and we’re committed to meeting the demand growing our FAST footprint here in the U.S.”

The five streams destined for Freevee on October 17 are:

  • BBC Comedy
  • BBC Gameshows
  • BBC Sci-Fi
  • BBC Travel
  • Silent Witness / New Tricks marathon channel

The channels add to several other content streams the BBC has operated for some time now. Last year, the BBC launched two content streams on Paramount Global’s Pluto TV: BBC Home and BBC Food. Overall, the BBC programs more than a dozen free streaming content channels.

The streams are being programmed and sold by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the London-based public broadcaster. BBC Studios licenses content to third party distributors around the world as part of a broader strategy to generate additional revenue for the network.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is an award-winning journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering the business of television and radio broadcasting, streaming services and the overall media industry. In addition to his work as publisher of The Desk, Matthew contributes regularly to StreamTV Insider and KnowTechie, and has worked for several well-known news organizations, including Thomson Reuters, McNaughton Newspapers, Grasswire, Comstock's magazine, KTXL-TV and KGO-TV. Matthew is a member of IRE, a trade organization for investigative reporters and editors, and is based in Northern California.

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