CMS advises BBC Studios on landmark agreements with Discovery including split of UKTV channels

International law firm CMS has advised BBC Studios on a series of landmark agreements with Discovery which include the acquisition by BBC Studios of seven UKTV channels; a global content partnership to power a new global streaming service; and a bespoke premium factual development deal.

UKTV split

Under the terms of the UKTV deal, which is expected to complete in late Spring 2019, BBC Studios and Discovery have agreed to split the UKTV channels business, with BBC Studios acquiring seven channels - Alibi, Dave, Drama, Eden, Gold, Yesterday and W - along with digital player UKTV Play, and the UKTV brand. These channels are the most closely aligned to its own content strategy and supply, with BBC programmes currently delivering around half the viewing for these seven channels, and accounting for around 95% of BBC Studios’ content on UKTV today. Discovery will acquire the lifestyle channels Good Food, Home and Really.

Global content partnership

The 10-year global content agreement, effective in all territories outside the UK, Ireland and Greater China, will make Discovery the exclusive global home of BBC landmark natural history programmes in SVOD (Subscription Video On Demand), including titles such as Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Life and Dynasties. Discovery will also acquire SVOD rights to hundreds of hours of BBC programming across factual genres. This content will form one of the pillars of a new Discovery global streaming service, which will also include some of the best of Discovery’s programming library, original content created for the service, and experiences and offerings that go well beyond video. 

Bespoke development deal

The two companies have also signed an agreement to co-fund a development team within BBC Studios for the creation of new landmark factual content for Discovery for both linear and digital distribution.

CMS partner Selina Potter, who worked across all three deals, comments: "This is a landmark moment for BBC Studios and Discovery. It is a particularly momentous deal for us - having helped BBC Studios to set up UKTV in 1997, we are pleased to have come full circle, helping to reshape the business and safeguard the future of UKTV. We look forward to supporting our longstanding client in its next chapter as it cements its historic relationship with Discovery.”

The CMS team also included Simon Morgan, Kate Blumhof, Rebecca Platt, Tomos Jones, Sam Oustayiannis and Mark Joscelyne.

For further information on the agreement, please click here.