Rise of streaming services and sponsorship helps BBC Worldwide boost ANZ sales
The local arm of British public broadcaster BBC has increased its profits in the last financial year, boosted by the likes of streaming services Stan and Presto competing for its content.
For the year ended March 31, BBC Worldwide Australia and New Zealand reported a profit of £19.2m ($33.4m) from revenues of £79.1m ($137.6m).
While the pound value of local sales was down from £81.9m in the previous financial year, currency fluctuations mean a 5.3% increase in headline sales in local currency.
That growth included a 19.9% increase in sponsorship revenue for its premium Foxtel channel, BBC First, in its first full year of operation, which the BBC claimed reached more than 3m viewers throughout the year.
It also noted the sale of its Sherlock Holmes special, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, to SVOD service Stan as the first time it has made a deal like that in this market.
The sale of Sherlock Holmes: The Abominable Bride was the first time the BBC has sold a show to a streaming service in Australia
The increase came despite not having a series of BBC Worldwide’s most profitable show, Top Gear, in the year to sell, after host Jeremy Clarkson was sacked and his co-hosts left to start a new show on Amazon.
However, locally the BBC as sold six new formats in the past year, including: You’re Back In The Room for Nine and TVNZ; a first series of Coast and Mastermind for TVNZ; Coast on The History Channel; and The Great Australian Bake Off on Lifestyle FOOD.
Live events also contributed strongly, with the Doctor Who Festival and BBC Proms event in Melbourne – the first time a Proms has been held outside the UK – singled out as successes.
Globally, BBC Worldwide had headline sales of £1.029bn with a headline profit of £133.8m.
Jon Penn, managing director of BBC Worldwide ANZ, said in a statement: “Our healthy growth has contributed to a positive global story for the company this year and can be attributed to strong established partnerships, a proliferation of new ventures and the continued quality and breadth of our channel and content sales businesses in this region.”
Hi Alex and Mumbrella team,
C’mon … you _must_ have seen the streaming figures we’re all seeing!
Goodbye Stan … see you later Presto!
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