BBC Earth set for Indian launch

The commercial arm of the BBC is gearing up to launch premium international channel brand BBC Earth on Indian television.

BBC Worldwide has formed a strategic partnership with Multi Screen Media to launch the factual network in India.

BBC Earth is one of three premium brands BBCWW has been rolling out, the others being drama-focused BBC First and male-skewed BBC Brit. Earth draws on the extensive blue chip factual library of the UK’s pubcaster. The Indian announcement came yesterday on Earth Day.

This month BBC Earth launched in a number of European territories, including Romania, the Nordic countries and Turkey. It also launched in Poland in February.

MSM operates Sony Pictures Television’s channels in India, and has wide distribution capabilities in the large but disparate local market.