BBC Worldwide Sells 300 Hours in China

LONDON: BBC Worldwide has sold some 300 hours of programming into China, announced during the fourth annual China Showcase in Beijing.

Sales included natural history and factual titles such as David Beckham: Into the Unknown, which features the sports star and his close friends traveling to Brazil; Museum Secrets, which invites viewers into museums to see the dark and strange secrets of some artifacts; and Horizon, the long-running popular science doc program. The deals signed with Shanghai Media Group ICS, CCTV, DOXTV, and Wingsmedia just before China Showcase will see programs aired on the various broadcasters’ platforms.

Pierre Cheung, the VP and general manager for Greater China at BBC Worldwide, said, “These deals reinforce the relationships with several of our key partners in China. For many years, we have provided them with quality content that their viewers demand. These 300 hours of programs further cement our relationship with them.”

David Weiland, the executive VP for Asia, added, “China is an important market for BBC Worldwide and is a key plank in the company’s strategy. Over the years, we have successfully partnered on several natural history co-productions. We’ve also worked with our partners to provide high-quality content for their platforms. Over the last year, BBC Worldwide has invested more in original premium content, which is already delivering new series of premium drama and natural history programming like Sherlock and The Hunt. With these new opportunities in the pipeline, we look forward to many more successful partnerships in China.”