BBC Worldwide, Amazon India enter licensing deal

BBC Worldwide and e-commerce major Amazon India have entered a licensing deal that gives the latter’s content streaming service in India, Amazon Prime Video access to more than 600 hours of factual and pre-school content from the BBC. Amazon Prime launched in India in July 2016, and launched its Prime Video streaming service in December 2016.

Myleeta Aga, SVP and GM of India, BBC Worldwide, said, “In the last year or so, we have seen digital consumption in India increase exponentially. We are very excited to be partnering with Amazon Prime Video India to satisfy viewers’ demands for quality, premium programmes from the BBC.”

Nitesh Kripalani, director and country head, Amazon Prime Video India, said, “We are pleased to work with BBC Worldwide to avail premium quality pre-school and documentary programmes to our Prime Video customers."

“We are very humbled by the positive response from customers to Prime Video and we are confident that the BBC’s programmes will resonate with customers. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with BBC Worldwide,” Kripalani added.

The BBC library on Amazon Prime Video includes kids content like the CBeebies programmes including those never before broadcast in India, Dinopaws – an animation series about the adventures of a trio of young, inquisitive dinos; and Hey Duggee, the animated series narrated by award-winning comedian Alexander Armstrong which features Duggee the pooch and his after-school club. Hey Duggee most recently won the pre-school animation of the year at the most 2017 BAFTA Children’s Awards.

Subscribers to the service will also be able to watch BBC’s factual programmes like Gandhi, The World’s Weirdest Weapons and The Genius of Inventions.

Apart from this latest deal, Amazon has tied up with various production houses and animation studios to beef up its library. In addition, it plans to launch original productions created for the Indian audiences in association with domestic talent. The library already has Amazon Prime's global originals titles including Mr Robot, The Night Manager and Man in High Castle.