BBC Studios & India’s Lionsgate Play Pact for British Dramas

BBC Studios has inked a new content catalog deal with Lionsgate Play in India for a raft of British drama series.

Marking the first-ever partnership between the streaming service and BBC Studios Distribution, the deal will make available to Lionsgate Play viewers five scripted dramas. The titles include Brexit: The Uncivil War with Benedict Cumberbatch; Class, set in the universe of Doctor Who; Les Misérables; Pure, a comedy-drama based on Rose Cartwright’s book of the same name; and SS-GB, a period drama produced by Sid Gentle Films and based on the novel by Len Deighton.

The SVOD platform Lionsgate Play offers blockbuster international films and series curated for Indian audiences, with content made available in multiple regional Indian languages. The streaming service is currently available on Google Play Store, Apple App Store, Amazon Firestick and via Airtel Xstream, Jio Fiber and Vi Movies and TV.

Stanley Fernandes, VP of distribution for South Asia at BBC Studios, said: “These programs represent the cutting-edge of both BBC and British storytelling as a whole, and we’re really excited to bring even more choice to the discerning Indian viewer, through this deal with Lionsgate. In the midst of India’s dynamic streaming and entertainment landscape, we’re pleased that British drama and formats continue to find new platforms and an enthusiastic public reception in the region, and that these stories are accessible to as wide an audience as possible.”

Rohit Jain, managing director at Lionsgate South Asia and Networks SEA, added: “We are delighted to have partnered with BBC Studios. Indian audiences have always enjoyed British content and the unique content line up provided by BBC Studios covers various genres of entertainment. It is classic, powerful and groundbreaking. We are confident our viewers will be swooped into another world.”