BBC in Talks to Produce Content for YouTube in Landmark Deal (Report)

The BBC and YouTube are in talks for a landmark deal that would see the British broadcaster produce content for the video platform, according to a report in the Financial Times.

The FT reports that the deal — which could be announced as early as next week — would involve the BBC making bespoke shows for YouTube that would then also be available on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. The BBC declined to comment on the matter, and YouTube did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.

The potential agreement points to the increasing challenge YouTube has posed for linear television channels, with younger audiences consistently turning to the platform for both entertainment and news. In December, ratings agency Barb reported that the number of viewers watching YouTube (52 million) surpassed that of the BBC’s combined channels (51 million) for the first time. According to the FT, the content that the BBC would produce on YouTube would mainly target these younger audiences, focusing on shows made by BBC Three, children’s programs and sports.

The FT reports that the BBC would also be able to generate a profit from the partnership with YouTube by advertising on programs shown outside of the U.K. As it stands, the BBC does not earn money through advertising on home soil as it is a public-service broadcaster, instead charging a license fee to British audiences for access to its content.

A possible BBC-YouTube deal comes as the BBC is fighting a $10 billion defamation lawsuit from U.S. President Donald Trump over an edit of his Jan. 6 speech on its “Panorama” program, and following the news that YouTube would become the home of the Oscars in 2029 after airing on ABC for decades.