BBC Worldwide Clinches Facebook Deal for Doctor Who

LONDON: A series of digitally remastered episodes of BBC Worldwide’s Doctor Who will be available to rent on Facebook beginning tomorrow across Europe, the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Users can stream a selection of nine stories (each containing several episodes) using Facebook credits. The offerings include digitally remastered classics such as "Tomb of the Cybermen" as well as the more recent "Silence in the Library" and "End of the World." Exclusive to Facebook is "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy," which has never been released on DVD. The rental period is 48 hours.

"As we have grown internationally, we’ve seen through our Facebook channel that fans who are loving the new series are asking for a guide into our rich Doctor Who back catalogue," said John Smith, chief executive of BBC Worldwide. "Our approach to Facebook and other leading edge platforms is to be right there alongside them in fostering innovation. We see this service as a perfect way to give our fans what they want, as well as a great way for them to get their fix between now and the autumn when series six continues."

Christian Hernandez, director of platform partnerships at Facebook, added, “Millions of people engage with their favorite TV shows on Facebook every day and we’re now seeing broadcasters look at innovative ways to use Facebook tools to connect their fans with exclusive content. Through its Facebook page, BBC Worldwide is giving Doctor Who fans a quick and easy way to access these iconic episodes."