BBC Brit, BBC Earth, BBC First for South Africa
August 12, 2015
BBC Worldwide has announced that BBC Brit, BBC Earth and BBC First will launch on MultiChoice’s DStv platform in South Africa, making it the first pay TV platform in the world to launch all three of its new global genre brands. BBC Brit and BBC Earth will be available from September 1st and BBC First will follow on October 18th.
The upcoming launch marks the debut of the brands on a new continent and follows the successful European debuts of BBC Brit and BBC Earth in Poland, the Nordics, Hungary, Romania and Turkey earlier this year. BBC First launched in Australia in mid-2014 and in Belgium and The Netherlands earlier this year. BBC Earth will launch in Latin America on September 1st and in Asia on October 3rd.
In South Africa, BBC Entertainment and BBC Knowledge will be replaced with BBC Brit and BBC Earth with an increased investment into new content, whilst BBC First will launch as a new channel in the region. The new channels will sit alongside BBC Lifestyle, CBeebies and BBC World News.
BBC Brit offers premium factual entertainment that is intelligent but irreverent. Male-skewing but with broader appeal, it blends expertise with entertainment and fact with fun.
BBC Earth inspires audiences by sharing the incredible wonders of our universe. The channel showcases the work of the world’s foremost factual film makers as it seeks to take audiences on a thrilling journey of discovery.
BBC First is the home of premium, original British drama.
Paul Dempsey, President Global Markets at BBC Worldwide said: “BBC Brit, BBC Earth and BBC First bring together some of the world’s biggest names and best programme-makers in three brilliantly curated, high quality channel brands. The channels capture what’s special about British TV and our South African launch marks an important step in the company’s global strategy as we continue to inspire audiences with distinctive, premium programming.”