 BBC First logo (2022–present) | |
| Broadcast area | Australia and New Zealand Europe Southeast Asia Canada Western Asia North and South Africa |
|---|---|
| Programming | |
| Language | Various |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled to16:9576i for theSDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | BBC Studios |
| Sister channels | BBC Earth BBC UKTV BBC HD BBC Lifestyle BBC Entertainment BBC News (International) BBC Brit CBeebies |
| History | |
| Launched | 3 August 2014; 11 years ago (2014-08-03) |
| Replaced | BBC Entertainment (Asia) BBC HD (Poland) |
| Closed | 1 September 2020; 5 years ago (2020-09-01) (Africa) 31 July 2024; 15 months ago (2024-07-31)(Australia) 15 May 2025; 6 months ago (2025-05-15) (Netherlands) |
| Links | |
| Website | BBC First AsiaBBC First CanadaBBC First Netherlands BBC First New Zealand |
BBC First is an entertainmentsubscription television channel featuring comedy, crime, drama and film programming, originating from UK and mostly from the BBC. The channel is wholly owned and operated byBBC Studios. The channel began rolling out internationally in 2014, launching first in Australia.[1][2][3] It is supported by extended localised advertising breaks.
In October 2013, the BBC announced that in 2014 they would roll out three new brands –BBC Earth,BBC First, andBBC Brit, with BBC First to be dedicated to comedy and drama programming.[4]
On 1 November 2016, BBC First launched as a Subscription Video-On-Demand (SVOD) service inHong Kong. The channel replaced BBC On Demand andBBC Entertainment onNow TV.[5] On 14 November 2016, the service was launched onmyTV SuperOTT platform until 31 January 2023.
In April 2021, BBC First launched as a Subscription Video-On-Demand (SVOD) service inIndonesia throughCatchplay, which also serves as the platform's partner in Taiwan.[6]
BBC First was launched as a Subscription Video-On-Demand (SVOD) service onHyppTV Channel 812 on 1 October 2016, 10 months after BBC Entertainment was dropped from the provider.[7] The channel's content is also available in the "VOD" tab in the HyppTV Everywhere app for iOS and Android.
In mid-October 2021, BBC First launched as a SVOD service on Astro, along withBBC Brit.[8]
BBC First launched a Subscription Video-On-Demand (SVOD) service onStarHub TV Channel 522 on 4 April 2016.[9] On 1 December 2021, BBC First launched a Video-On-Demand (VOD) service onSingtel TV.[10]
In 2008, BBC Studios signed a cooperation agreement with Taiwanese OTT servicemyVideo to offer its drama content.[11]
On 17 April 2013, it was announced that theBBC had forged a new exclusive deal withAustralian subscription television providerFoxtel which would see a new channel launched that would feature comedy and drama content, with programming screening as close to their originalUK transmission as possible.[2] It was later announced the new channel would be namedBBC First, a new global brand that would roll out in 2014, with Australia being the first location to launch the new channel, on 3 August 2014.[3][12][13] The channel exited Foxtel and Binge on 31 July 2024.[14]
The channel reappeared on Britbox in June 2025.[15]
In March 2021, Canadian broadcasterBlue Ant Media, which already operated theCanadian version of BBC Earth, announced that itsHIFI channel would be rebranded as a Canadian version of BBC First on March 16, expanding the company's partnership with BBC Studios.[16] Unlike the other versions, the Canadian channel is not directly owned by BBC Studios, due to Canada's regulations around foreign ownership of Canadian media, but is operated by Blue Ant under a brand licensing agreement.
Previously, the market had been served by the similarly formattedBBC Canada, which was closed by then-ownerCorus Entertainment at the end of 2020; many of the BBC programs carried by the prior channel carried over to BBC First. Blue Ant Media's founderMichael MacMillan is a former executive of BBC Canada's original parent companyAlliance Atlantis.[17]
On 1 October 2024 Sky launched BBC First on channel 207.[18]
BBC First launched in the Netherlands on 16 May 2015.[19]
On 15 May 2025 the channel was renamed to BBC NL in the Netherlands,[20] while remaining BBC First in Belgium.[21]
BBC First made its debut as a linear channel inPoland on 26 October 2018, replacingBBC HD.
Commenting on the development, Jacek Koskowski, general manager and VP for Poland, BBC Studios, said: “We’re living through a golden era of British drama with outstanding talent producing some of the very best television in the world. Increasing the drama hours on BBC HD was integral to that channel’s recent growth and now we are going further by bringing viewers even more of what they want. Coupled with the addition of Polish and English subtitles for the first time, I’m delighted to be introducing a dedicated premium drama channel to Poland”.[22]
BBC First launched inCroatia,North Macedonia andSlovenia on 1 April 2019,[23] followed byRomania on 12 October 2022[24] andMoldova on 6 June 2023.[25]
The channel launched in Malta on 1st April 2024 and it is available on Melita EPG 300 and GOTV EPG 200, replacing BBC Entertainment. Both providers provide the channel in HD with catch-up features.
The channel launched inTurkey on 27 May 2020, replacingBBC HD.
BBC First launched on OSN.
The channel launched onDStv inSouth Africa on 18 October 2015.[26][27] On 4 August 2020, it was announced that BBC First would close in South Africa at the end of August 2020 after its current carriage agreement withMultiChoice was not renewed.[28][29][30] Some of its programming was moved to sister channelBBC Brit[31] and streaming serviceBritbox.[32]
There areBBC First programming blocks on the following channels:
BBC Earth, BBC First, BBC News and CBeebies will leave Foxtel and Binge from 31 July.
| UK channels | |
|---|---|
| UK nations and regions | |
| Services and programming blocks | |
| UKTV channels | |
| International channels and joint ventures | |
| Defunct channels | |
| A&E | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aleph Media |
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| AMC | |||||
| Antenna |
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| CNM | |||||
| Clever Group |
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| Digital Broadcast |
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| Disney Romania | |||||
| Doğan Holding | |||||
| Intact |
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| ISG Media |
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| Kino Polska | |||||
| NBCUniversal | |||||
| Paramount | |||||
| Pro TV | |||||
| Digi Communications |
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| Tematic Media | |||||
| TVR | |||||
| Viasat World | |||||
| Warner Bros. Discovery | |||||
| Others |
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| Defunct |
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