The BBC is making significant strides to deepen its reach in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with the launch of a new Polish-language news site and enhanced content delivery through BBC Player.
From ‘Silent Witness’ to BBC News Polska: Expanding BBC’s Reach in CEE
From Silent Witness to news, BBC content is penetrating deeper into homes in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and beyond, through dedicated channels, the BBC Player on-demand service, and the launch of a new Polish-language news site this week.
Strengthening Regional Presence
Bartosz Witak is tasked with enhancing BBC Studios’ regional presence. When he spoke with Deadline a year ago at the NEM market in Dubrovnik, he had recently taken on the role of General Manager for BBC Studios across CEE. Since then, he has expanded his responsibilities to include Turkey and the Middle East & North Africa (MENA), building his team with new hires in ad sales, marketing, communications, and research. He is currently seeking a Programming Director for all of CEE and MENAT.
Connecting the Dots
Operating from his Warsaw headquarters, Witak’s mission is to bring BBC’s British content into more homes while integrating various facets of the BBC Studios business, which encompasses channels, digital platforms, program sales, events, and more across a diverse range of territories.
“We are sitting on a goldmine of tens of thousands of hours of content,” he stated. “The worst type of content is the one that remains unused. We are working to properly structure, strategize, and optimize our offerings.”
BBC Player Expansion
The BBC Player, distinct from the UK iPlayer and Britbox, is a growing segment of the business. Witak’s team has secured new distribution deals for the on-demand service with CDA Premium in Poland, Cosmote in Greece, Slovak Telekom’s Magio TV, and T-Mobile’s Magenta TV in the Czech Republic over the past year.
The nature of the television business in CEE, as illustrated by recent deals, involves collaboration with various partners. “This region has made us entrepreneurial; we do not deal with just one or two large clients,” Witak explained. “Territories often lack massive capacity or value, requiring us to continuously bundle, build, and leverage multiple third-party partners.”
Partnerships Over Direct Sales
BBC Player is not sold directly to consumers like Netflix or Prime Video; instead, it launches in partnership with existing pay TV providers and telcos, and now, with CDA Premium, an online streaming service.
“We do not sell directly to consumers because we are not Netflix, Max, or Disney,” Witak clarified, elaborating on the CDA Premium partnership. “We offer bold British creative content, and for the first time, we have chosen to partner with an online streaming service, differing from our traditional collaborations with cable and satellite operators.”
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Launch of BBC News Polska
In news, the Polish-language BBC News Polska site launches on June 24, featuring original content from BBC’s Polish-speaking broadcasters, including Kasia Madera and Tomasz Schafernaker. Other BBC news reports will be translated using artificial intelligence. The BBC stated that this service for Polish speakers “will help counter a wave of disinformation in the region.”
This initiative signals a shift in the news landscape. When the Polish service was first announced, the BBC highlighted “bold plans to pilot more non-English-language content where there is a demand for independent, impartial news, especially as press freedom declines globally and disinformation proliferates.”
Recent Channel Deals
In terms of traditional channels, the BBC Studios CEE and MENAT team has secured numerous recent agreements. BBC Earth and BBC First channels launched for Czech customers via Vodafone, and a trio of BBC-branded channels also debuted with the same provider in Romania. Additionally, a significant distribution deal with pay-TV service Polsat Box was renegotiated.
Looking Ahead
Witak concludes that his role is to provide a cohesive strategy for the diverse activities of BBC Studios. “It’s about connecting the dots and presenting ourselves to the market as one team, one brand, one solution. This doesn’t mean my team discusses everything with partners simultaneously; we have different divisions: production, brand licensing, consumer products, events, and more. The key is to ensure we represent the business effectively.”
Looking forward, he added: “One priority is to continue expanding the reach of any service or product we deploy in a given territory. Another focus is on monetizing these products and services across all regions. Additionally, we aim to develop digital products.”
