BBC Reaches New Trade Agreement with Pact

LONDON: The BBC and Pact have agreed to new terms of trade for the commissioning of independent productions, including for the extension of the BBC iPlayer window from 7 to 30 days.

The arrangement enables the BBC to provide greater access to content for the license-fee payer, and for the indie sector to provide broader opportunities for audiences to find programs on commercial platforms. Along with extending the free-to-air catch-up window on the iPlayer, the new terms provide for content availability on BBC Store, a new commercial offer that will feature a broader digital video library from the BBC.

Bal Samra, the commercial director at the BBC, said: “We are delighted to have agreed this ground-breaking deal between the BBC, Pact and the independent sector, extending our partnership and providing new opportunities that will act as a digital catalyst for the whole industry. This deal will provide real value for license-fee payers, as well as increased access to the BBC content they love, with more opportunities to watch BBC content for longer, find and buy digital programs to keep, and discover gems from the BBC’s archive.”

John McVay, the chief executive of Pact, added: “The U.K.’s independent production companies now produce over 40 per cent of television content for the BBC—this is a good deal for the indies that will help U.K. creative companies to better exploit their programs on other digital platforms and sustain the commercial success of the world’s most successful Independent sector.”