Singapore to be inaugural launch pad for new service
BBC Worldwide announced today, on the second day of the Asia Pay TV Operators Summit (APOS) in
Indonesia, the launch of BBC Player, a new authenticated multi-genre SVOD service that will allow
viewers to watch the very best BBC programmes anytime anywhere – online, as well as via an app on
their smartphones and tablets. It will be available in Singapore to StarHub TV customers later this year.
BBC Player will feature curated content from six BBC global brands – BBC Earth, BBC First, BBC Lifestyle,
CBeebies and BBC World News – as well as BBC Brit a new global brand that will be available for the first
time in Asia.
With BBC Player, subscribers to BBC channels on StarHub TV will be able to:
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Access BBC First – the home of premium and original drama from the BBC and British
independent production companies. Viewers will be offered an array of titles that challenge,
immerse and entertain, including some of the BBC’s most popular and distinctive dramas being
available within 24 hours of their original transmission; -
Access new genre brand BBC Brit – which offers premium factual entertainment that is
intelligent but irreverent. Male-skewing but with broader appeal, blending expertise with
entertainment and fact with fun. BBC Brit will offer programmes covering science, adventure,
business, life-changing moments, extreme characters, quirky eccentrics, music, sport and
comedy; -
Access a selection of popular programmes from the linear channels on their StarHub TV
subscription – including BBC Earth, BBC Lifestyle, CBeebies and BBC World News; -
Stream and download a selection of award-winning and highly rated BBC programmes to watch
offline for up to 30 days.
Making its debut in Asia via BBC Player, BBC Brit will air the latest series of Top Gear starring Chris Evans
and Matt LeBlanc as well as Hoff the Record, David Hasselhoff’s semi-scripted mockumentary comedy
series. BBC First will feature unmissable series like the award-winning Orphan Black (Series 4) and the
highly anticipated Sherlock (Series 4). BBC Earth fans have access to a special collection of Sir David
Attenborough’s titles, and fan-favourite Life Below Zero (Series 3) which follows the daily challenges of
people who live in remote corners of Alaska. BBC Lifestyle will feature programmes like the hugely
popular Great British Bake Off (Series 6) and Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: Melbourne, while BBC
World News will feature popular magazine programmes like Click and Hard Talk; CBeebies, our preschool
offering, will show the best in entertainment and educational programming including awardwinning
Sarah and Duck and Go Jetters to keep pre-schoolers enthralled anytime, anyplace.
Of the launch, Paul Dempsey, President Global Markets, BBC Worldwide, said: “The BBC has a proud
heritage in digital innovation – we led the way with news online, radio online and digital video in the UK.
But what really sets us apart is the care we take in curating our world class content for audiences. I’m
delighted that audiences in Singapore, one of the most connected countries in the world with the
highest smartphone penetration, will be the first to experience this quality for themselves with the
inaugural launch of BBC Player.”
“We are very excited to partner with StarHub on BBC Player to super-serve our viewers deepening their
relationship with our brands,” said Monty Ghai, SVP and GM, South East Asia for BBC Worldwide. “With
BBC Payer, StarHub TV subscribers will not only be able to access content beyond our linear
channels, the service will also offer fans of BBC.com, which has approximately a million unique browsers
per month in Singapore, the opportunity to discover even more content across our brands via BBC
Player.”
Ghai added: “We are confident that BBC Player with its broad range of genres – from pre-school, to
lifestyle, factual entertainment and documentary programmes will meet the viewing needs of StarHub’s
viewers from drama aficionados to carers who need to entertain their pre-schoolers on the go.”
Howie Lau, StarHub’s Chief Marketing Officer commented: “We are delighted that StarHub TV
customers will be the first in Asia to enjoy BBC Player. BBC Player not only complements our pay TV
offering, it also delivers BBC’s signature content seamlessly across our customers’ devices, deepening
the overall entertainment experience. StarHub and BBC Worldwide have achieved many milestones over
the last twenty years together and we believe that BBC Player will be a service that takes our
partnership into the future.”
At launch, the authenticated BBC Player app will be available in android and iOS. It will also be available
online.
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About BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation
across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from
the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also
champions British creativity globally.
In 2014/15, BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £138.6m and headline sales of £1,001.8m and
returned a record £226.5m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our
Annual Review website:
http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreview
bbcworldwide.com
twitter.com/bbcwpress
For more information, please contact:
BBC Worldwide:
Jeanne Leong
BBC Worldwide
Tel: +65 6849 5292
Email: Jeanne.Leong@bbc.com