BBC outlines $1.7bn commissioning spend in 2021/22, proof of diverse content

A recent report published by the BBC has found it commissioned over £1.4bn (US$1.7bn) of original TV content from the UK production sector in 2021/22.

David Pembrey

The TV Commissioning Supply Report found £44m of that spend was on diverse content as part of the pubcaster’s creative diversity commitments.

Programmes must meet two of the following criteria to count towards the commitment: diverse stories and portrayal on screen; diverse production leadership; diverse company leadership.

The BBC said it continues to be the commissioner with the strongest creative and economic footprint across the UK, working with more producers (334) than anyone else, with 64% of network hours commissioned from the nations and English regions.

It added that more new producers (59) were commissioned in 2021/22 than in 2020/21 and it is leading the way by investing in talent and training, creating jobs and supporting change in the sector.

David Pembrey, chief operating officer at BBC Content, said: “We’d like to thank all the producers, talent and partners we worked with in 21/22 who helped us inspire audiences, meet our commitments and improve how we work as an industry. We look forward to delivering more value for audiences and the UK creative sector over the coming year.”