Sky NZ expands BBC Studios deal to take BBC First

Beyond Paradise (Source: BBC Studios)

Sky in New Zealand has struck a deal that will see BBC Studios (BBCS)’s BBC First channel launching in the country.

BBC First will join the Sky channel line up from October, with selected shows also set to become available on Neon and Sky Open.

It joins BBC UKTV, BBC Earth and CBeebies in New Zealand, with BBC News channel also available via the Sky platform.

Among available titles will be detective thriller The Jetty starring Jenna Coleman, Return To Paradise, the Australian spin-off of Death in Paradise, and the second season of Beyond Paradise starring Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton.

Sky CEO Sophie Moloney said: “We value what our customers value, and with UKTV being Sky’s number one entertainment channel with consistently high and growing viewership, we’re confident in the value this represents for customers.”

BBCS’s Australia and New Zealand general manager, Fiona Lang, said: “New Zealand audiences have proven to have a huge appetite for British shows and we’re pleased to be able to partner with Sky to offer their customers more of what they want – the full suite of the best of the BBC from kids to entertainment, news, documentaries and drama.”