Top Gear Season 18 to Launch Globally

LONDON: BBC Worldwide Channels is to launch season 18 of the popular motoring series Top Gear internationally, following its U.K. debut.

After the U.K. premiere of the series, season 18 will follow 14 days later on BBC Entertainment in India, Africa and Latin America and on BBC Knowledge in Poland and Asia. Top Gear has sold to almost 200 territories worldwide and has more than six million viewers per episode when it airs in the U.K. Since 2008, four international versions have been licensed by BBC Worldwide in Australia, Russia, China and the U.S.

David Weiland, the senior VP of programming and TV channels at BBC Worldwide Channels, said, “It’s an important part of our programming strategy to bring as much of our acquired content to air as closely on our global network as it does in the U.K. Top Gear is a hugely popular program with viewers across all our territories and I’m delighted we are able to bring the latest series to them so close to the U.K. premiere transmission.”