FormatBiz | BBC Studios Set to Launch BBC SELECT

BBC Studios – creator, producer, and distributor of world-renowned content – is set to launch a new, ad-free subscription streaming channel, BBC SELECT, in early 2021 on Amazon Prime Video Channels and the Apple TV app. BBC SELECT will offer a rich range of programs from the UK covering three main topics – culture, politics, and ideas. These programs will inspire fresh perspectives from diverse voices with a candid, unbiased, and sometimes playful lens. A significant portion of the programs are exclusive premieres for audiences in the U.S. and Canada. An antidote to the predictable, BBC SELECT will be the definitive streaming channel for independent thinkers.

BBC SELECT will feature a range of British talent and shows including Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry and his programs on class, masculinity, and identity, including his latest, Grayson Perry: Big American Road Trip; author and documentarian of social issues Stacey Dooley and her series Brainwashing Stacey; historian Professor Sir Simon Schama with his new series The Romantic Revolution; and film maker Louis Theroux and a large collection of his work, including Selling Sex, Surviving America’s Most Hated Family, and Talking to Anorexia.

“For nearly a century, the BBC has been synonymous with extraordinary television programs – full stop. Name any genre, the BBC is best in class at identifying talent and providing them a platform for expression,” said Rebecca Glashow, President, BBC Studios – Americas. “As we shift our business focus to engaging our fans direct, the digital space offers us the opportunity to bring audiences a portfolio of shows that bring new ideas and perspectives into the conversation. Our research has shown that audiences are looking for an alternative to what is already out there. BBC SELECT is it.”

“BBC SELECT is for those who crave knowledge, new perspectives, and programs that are not your standard fare,” said Louise la Grange, General Manager & Launch Director. “BBC SELECT will combine a rich line up of never-before-seen shows in the U.S. and Canada with a prized portfolio of thought-provoking, eye-opening programs that provide context and color to the world we all share – all in one place.”

A powerful addition to the existing streaming channels on offer, BBC SELECT will announce additional details including content line up, the full slate of launch platforms, special features, and price at launch.