Russian online first for BBCWW

BBC Worldwide (BBCWW) has sold a host of titles, including Misfits, Little Britain and Top Gear, to Russian digital platforms.

The UK pubcaster’s commercial arm said the deals, for hundreds of hours of content, mark the first time it has licensed programmes for online viewing in Russia.

Russian wireless broadband internet company Yota is launching a multi-device video-on-demand service called Yota Play in July and has acquired more than 2,000 hours of BBCWW content to show over the next three years.

The launch slate will include drama Misfits (seasons one and two) and Sherlock. All seasons of Matt Lucas and David Walliams’ comedy Little Britain and every episode of Extras, starring Ricky Gervais, will also be available.

Motoring show Top Gear and and BBC Earth titles Planet Earth and Life, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, have also been picked up.

This deal follows BBCWW’s first commercial digital content partnership in Russia with NOW.ru, TNT’s VoD platform. NOW.ru launched in April with 400 hours of BBC content including four seasons of Dr Who, Sherlock and three seasons of Mistresses.

Another deal has also been struck with digital portal IVI for 200 hours of programming, including a three-hour ‘as live’ film of the royal wedding.

The BBC will hope to secure more Eastern European sales when it takes a host of its best-known titles to Discop in Hungary this week. Torchwood, Frozen Planet, Come Fly With Me, Dr Who and Luther are all on the slate.