BBC networks land in Laos

BBC World News, BBC Earth and CBeebies will become available to viewers in Laos for the first time after BBC Worldwide Asia struck a deal with local operator Laosat.

The channels, which will air on Laosat DTH, will be available in all of the country’s 17 provinces, giving audiences access to programmes such as Blue Planet II (7×60’) right after their UK broadcast.

The new Sir David Attenborough-narrated nature series, produced by BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, looks at the earth’s underwater worlds. It has already been sold to broadcasters in Europe and is set to be broadcast later this year.

“The pay TV market is set for high growth in the next few years,” said Myleeta Aga, senior VP of South and South-East Asia for BBC Worldwide. “With our partnership with Laosat DTH, we are very pleased to be part of that growth, bringing our genre-defining content to viewers there.”

Ding Yongbing, Laosat’s general manager, said there was “strong demand for BBC content in Laos” and that the addition of the new channels would give viewers “the best British and international content.”