4 August 2015 – (Mumbai, 4 August 2015)… BBC Worldwide has announced its first VOD deal in India. The deal, with the leading direct to home provider (DTH) , Tata Sky comprises of SVOD and TVOD services and gives subscribers in eight metros in India, access to the best of the BBC’s drama and comedy via ‘BBC On-Demand’, a branded property on Tata Sky’s platform. Viewers can now also access it online via their TVs, PCs, tablets and mobiles.
Programmes that will be available on the service include Luther, starring Idris Alba, who won a Golden Globe for his role as a brilliant but emotionally impulsive murder detective; The Honorable Woman starring Maggie Gyllenhaal who won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of a powerful businesswoman haunted by events from her past in a thriller set in the Middle East; and Burton and Taylor, based on the legendary acting duo, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor starring Dominic West and Helena Bonham Carter. Kickstarting the block is classic hit Yes, Prime Minister, contemporary comedy, Citizen Khan and an endearing drama, Being Erica.
“In a study commissioned by BBC Worldwide earlier this year, we found that quality of content, British humour, and a love of original British dramas were the top reasons why people, including Indians, enjoy British television programmes,” said Myleeta Aga, SVP and GM of BBC Worldwide in India. “We are very excited to be working with Tata Sky to bring these award winning and high quality programmes, many never before seen in India, to Tata Sky’s subscribers, where they can access them anytime, anywhere.”
“We are very pleased to be partnering with BBC Worldwide to launch BBC-on-demand,” said Paolo Agostinelli, Chief Content Officer at Tata Sky. “Viewing habits and customer needs in the industry are evolving as fast as ever. We are committed to remain the best choice in the country when it comes to premium entertainment, which means we must be able to offer top branded content and the best viewing experience, including increasingly popular time-shifted and device-shifted binge viewing content. We are confident that this is only the start of a very fruitful relationship with BBC”.
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For more information, please contact:
For BBC Worldwide:
Jeanne Leong
BBC Worldwide Asia
Tel: +65 6849 5292
Email: Jeanne.Leong@bbc.com
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 2013/14, BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £157.4m and headline sales of £1,042.3m and returned £173.8m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review website: http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreview
About Tata Sky
Launched in 2006, Tata Sky is a JV between the TATA Group and 21st Century Fox. The company has invested in state-of-the-art digital infrastructure, partnered with global leaders to provide superior technology and set-up high-end 24×7 call centers across the country manned by multi-lingual customer service associates.
The Tata Sky brand has achieved significant milestones, industry accolades and is rated as the No 1 DTH brand by the ET Brand Equity 2012 most trusted brand survey. Recently Tata Sky+ HD has been rated as the ‘Product of the Year’, 2013 in the DTH category. The company currently has a presence over 50,000 towns & villages with over 14.5 million connections.