BBC Strikes Major Deal To Produce Original Content For YouTube

The BBC has confirmed a major new partnership with YouTube that will see it produce original content designed specifically for YouTube, marking a big shift in how the broadcaster reaches younger audiences.

Until now, the BBC has mainly used YouTube to share clips and trailers from its TV and radio shows. Under the new agreement, it will go further by creating programmes made with YouTube’s digital-first audience in mind. Some of that content is also expected to appear later on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.

The new shows will span entertainment, news and sport, with coverage starting around the Winter Olympics in February. While the BBC does not run adverts in the UK, the YouTube content will carry advertising when viewed overseas, bringing in extra income as the future of the licence fee remains under political review.

In a joint statement, the BBC and YouTube said the partnership would showcase "the best homegrown storytelling and news from across the BBC".

BBC director general Tim Davie said the deal would help the corporation "connect with audiences in new ways". He added: "We're building from a strong start and this takes us to the next level, with bold homegrown content in formats audiences want on YouTube and an unprecedented training programme to upskill the next generation of YouTube creators from across the UK."

YouTube’s vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Pedro Pina, said the company was "delighted" to work with the BBC "to redefine the boundaries of digital storytelling". He added that the partnership would ensure the BBC’s content reached a younger, more global audience and help support future creators across the UK.

As part of the deal, the BBC will launch new specialist YouTube channels. These include documentary-focused channels such as Deepwatch, as well as seven children’s channels. One of them, The Epic Facts channel, will bring together content from popular BBC shows including Horrible Histories and Deadly 60.

The agreement also includes a creator skills and training programme, described as a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at developing new British talent for online platforms.

The BBC already has a significant presence on YouTube, with more than 15 million subscribers on its main channel and around 19 million on BBC News. BBC Studios content attracts billions of views each year, but the broadcaster has not previously produced bespoke series for the platform.

The move comes as viewing habits continue to shift. In December, YouTube overtook BBC services on certain viewing measures in the UK for the first time. Separate research has also shown social media and video platforms becoming a primary source of news for many people, particularly younger audiences.

Media lawyer Juliane Althoff said the deal reflected changing audience behaviour and financial pressures. She said: “This deal marks a strategic acknowledgement of where audiences now sit and how they consume content – especially younger demographics – and reflects the need to increase commercial opportunities to supplement the license fee.”

She also warned that the partnership would need careful handling to protect the BBC’s reputation and obligations, adding that agreements must safeguard “strict impartiality and accuracy” and the broadcaster’s long-term rights.

The deal covers both the BBC’s UK public service output and its commercial arm, BBC Studios. While no financial details have been made public, it marks one of the clearest signs yet of the BBC adapting to a media landscape increasingly shaped by global tech platforms.