As per the announcement that was made at the end of November last year (see below), yesterday marked the day that BBC Worldwide was formally merged into BBC Studios. The name BBC Worldwide disappeared with it.
It doesn’t directly affect you and us, save as to say that the entire BBC is a bit more commercial than it once was…
Bye BBC Worldwide, hello @bbcstudios pic.twitter.com/NM0Y6BF1VZ
— Christopher Allen (@chris_allen) April 3, 2018
November 2017
There’s a big structural change taking place at the BBC, as the corporation is merging two of its commercial arms into one entity. It’s announced that it’s merging BBC Studios and BBC Worldwide, to create a new combined group called, er, BBC Studios.
BBC Worldwide has long handled the likes of DVD releases, sales and commercial gubbins, whilst BBC Studios is the programme production arm of the organisation. The aim is to bring them both together with a single business plan.
Tony Hall, director general of the BBC, released a statement that reads:
In a fast-changing TV industry, securing the future success of the BBC is vital.
Creating a single BBC Studios will bring the BBC in line with the industry, be simpler and more efficient. It will help ensure that licence fee payers in the UK continue to receive outstanding British programmes which reflect British lives, long into the future.
It will also ensure the BBC can continue to play its crucial role in supporting the successful UK creative economy.
The change isn’t likely to affect us end users a great deal, not least because BBC Worldwide’s DVD and Blu-ray output has significantly reduced in recent years (particularly since the closing of the BBC Store). The new BBC Studios will begin trading as a single entity from April 1st 2018.