Marcus Arthur


UKTV split confirmed: Discovery takes lifestyle, BBC takes entertainment

BBC Studios and Discovery have completed the deal to split up the channels in their joint British TV venture, UKTV. It follows an agreement between the two parties – announced in April – which sees BBC Studios take control of the venture’s seven entertainment channels, including Alibi, Dave, Drama, Eden, Gold, W and Yesterday, while […]

BBC Store debuts with ‘comprehensive’ offering

BBC Worldwide has today launched its download-to-own BBC Store, promising access to the “most comprehensive collection of BBC programmes ever collected”. The Store is a joint effort between the BBC’s commercial and public service arms, and is accessible both through the BBC’s iPlayer catch-up service and from a standalone website – with BBC Store mobile […]

BBC Store to launch next month

The BBC is due to launch its buy-to-own digital content store in the UK next month, BBC Worldwide’s president of UK and Australia and New Zealand, Marcus Arthur has confirmed. Speaking at IHS’s PEVE Entertainment Business Futures 2015 event in London, Arthur (pictured) said the BBC Store will go live in November, following a press […]

BBC mulls subs model for int’l Store

BBC Store, the forthcoming electronic sell-through service from BBC Worldwide, will likely be rolled out internationally sometime after its UK launch next year, with the BBC’s commercial arm mulling whether to adopt a subscription or a transactional model for the international service. Speaking at TBI parent Informa’s Digital TV Summit in London this morning, Marcus […]

Getty to handle BBC Motion Gallery footage sales

BBC Worldwide, the global arm of the UK public broadcaster, has inked a deal with Getty Images, under the terms of which it will exclusively represent all of the content in the BBC Motion Gallery. Motion Gallery previously sold its clips and footage itself, but has handed that responsibility to Getty in a five-year deal […]

DHX pays US$27.5m for Teletubbies owner Ragdoll Worldwide

Canada’s DHX Media has acquired Teletubbies and In the Night Garden owner Ragdoll Worldwide for £17.4 million (US$27.5 million). The deal for the commercial arm of UK prodco Ragdoll will be funded from a C$25 million (US$24.2 million) expansion of DHX’s debt facility and cash reserves. The deal, closed with Ragdoll Worldwide owners BBC Worldwide […]

BBC Worldwide poaches FremantleMedia boss

BBC worldwide has hired Jon Penn as managing director of its Australasian operation. Penn is currently CEO, Asia Pacific at FremantleMedia Enterprises. He will join Worldwide in April. As MD, BBC Worldwide Australasia, Penn will take over from Tony Iffland, who left lasy year to join public broadcaster SBS, and interim boss Blair McQuade. Under […]