BBC Commercial, the commercial arm of the U.K. public broadcaster that is mainly driven by BBC Studios, reported improved full fiscal-year financials, including record revenue, on Tuesday. In what it called “a challenging market,” its financials were boosted by the continued success of animated family hit show Bluey, “a diversified portfolio, strong performance for BritBox International, and its consumer products division,” driven by Bluey.
BBC Commercial, which supports the BBC by generating income for the broader BBC Group, said that BBC Studios grew earnings 11 percent to £225 million ($303 million) “despite organic investment in media & streaming, including BBC.com and UKTV, which both saw audience growth.”
BBC Studios’ Global Media & Streaming unit is the home of streamer BritBox International, of which the company acquired full control last year. “Investment in digital platforms was key in delivering a 43 percent growth in revenues for the media and streaming division,” BBC Commercial said. “BritBox International’s revenues were up 20 percent year-on-year, with popular U.K. titles such as Ludwig and Blue Lights drawing in North American audiences.”
In its annual report, the company also put the spotlight on the success of key brands, such as Bluey, which, it said, boosted consumer products revenue.
“BBC Commercial has delivered a strong set of results, which show that our strategy is working and the investments made in previous years, together with a diversified portfolio, are delivering a trajectory of sustainable growth, despite ongoing global macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty,” said Tom Fussell, CEO of BBC Commercial, in a statement. “Together with the continuing recognition for the craft and creativity of our content studio and the demand for our content around the world, BBC Commercial is well placed to support a robust creative and entertainment industry and cement its role as a global ambassador for the best of U.K. content.”
Overall, BBC Commercial reported fiscal year 2024/2025 revenue, or sales, of £2.2 billion ($2.96 billion billion), compared with £1.9 billion in the previous year. Its profit, as measured in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), grew to £228 million ($307 million), compared with £199 million in the previous year.
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