BBC Studios Lands Digital Deals in Russia

BBC Studios has sold a range of programming, including Top Gear and Call the Midwife, to digital platforms in Russia.

OTT provider Okko has snapped up more than 800 hours from the BBC Studios catalog, including natural-history fare like Life and Frozen Planet and dramas such as The Durrells and SS-GB.

Around 100 hours of drama has been licensed to OTT service ivi. This includes Call the Midwife and Top of the Lake.

The OTT/VOD service Megogo picked up some 300 hours of drama, including Wolf Hall, Father Brown and Dickensian. Top Gear content, including the classic Top Gear series and specials, are part of the package as well.

KinoPoisk (Yandex), a Russian-language film and TV website, signed its first-ever deal with BBC Studios for a package of 300 hours. This covers Born to Kill, In the Dark, Ripper Street and Burton & Taylor, among others.

Rostelecom, a TVOD/SVOD platform, licensed more than 100 hours of drama, natural history and documentaries, with titles such as Luther and Diana, 7 Days as part of the package.

Salim Mukaddam, VP and general manager for Central and Eastern Europe at BBC Studios, said: “We have been watching the growth of the Russian VOD market closely and last year introduced a role dedicated to serving these clients. Our strategy is paying dividends now as BBC Studios leads the way in supplying premium content to Russian VOD consumers, having built significant partnerships with all the major players in the Russian market. We are delighted to be working with ivi, Okko, Megogo, Rostelecom and now KinoPoisk (Yandex), taking our catalog to an ever-expanding audience in the region. BBC Studios will have ringside seats to watch the growth of this sector and we look forward to expanding our relationships with these key partners in the years to come.”