Video: UKTV’s Marcus Arthur Talks Strategy & Ambitions

Marcus Arthur, CEO of UKTV and president of BBC Studios UK & Ireland, spoke to World Screen about the ambition and strategic direction of the business, opportunities to work with international partners and new funding models, leveraging the combined strengths of the UKTV and BBC Studios acquisitions teams and more.

In June 2019, BBC Studios took full ownership of UKTV, including the entertainment channels Alibi, Dave, Drama, Eden, Gold, W and Yesterday, the UKTV brand, as well as the digital service UKTV Play. The year that followed was marked by growth. UKTV’s seven-channel network grew its viewing share by 3.2 percent in 2020 to 4.63 percent, reaching over 18 million viewers a week. The broadcaster built on its commissioning success in the last year as well. UKTV Originals delivered the top five highest-rated programs across the network: Red Dwarf: The Promised Land(Dave), Meet the Richardsons (Dave), Ricky & Ralf’s Very Northern Road Trip (Gold), Bangers & Cash (Yesterday) and Red Dwarf: The First Three Million Years (Dave).