BBC World News reaches new distribution milestone

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Global TV news network now available in more than 40 million U.S. homes

New York, March 6, 2015. The BBC's award-winning 24-hour global news network BBC World News has reached a major distribution milestone, and is now available in more than 40 million U.S. homes and in every major U.S. market*. The fast growing channel, which is widely available in HD, has experienced significant distribution gains as a result of new multichannel operator deals.

Top U.S. distributors including DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Verizon, Charter, AT&T U-verse and Cablevision, are now all carrying the BBC's 24 hour news network.

The expanded distribution is due in part to new carriage deals secured by AMC Networks, which represents BBC World News in distribution, as part of a broader partnership announced in October 2014, and means that the network is now available on a full-time basis in all television markets in the U.S.

Jim Egan, Chief Executive Officer, BBC Global News Ltd, says: "In a profoundly interconnected and uncertain world, audiences want a global news source they can trust. With correspondents in more countries than any other news provider only the BBC can offer US viewers authoritative, fast-paced reporting of the latest news from around the world and an intelligent, truly objective perspective on America's place in it. We are delighted to be growing so quickly in the US on all platforms and to be available to TV subscribers nationwide for the first time."

BBC World News has the largest audience of any BBC channel in the world, broadcasting in over 200 countries and territories and with journalists in more than 85 international newsgathering bureaus globally. In January 2013 the BBC re-launched the network from new state of the art studios in London, as well as investing in new programming and global newsgathering. Programming highlights on the network include the Emmy©-winning daily newscast, World News America, anchored by Katty Kay from the BBC's studio in Washington DC.

The BBC is enjoying growth across all of its platforms in the U.S, including online and radio as well as TV.

More than 101 million unique browsers visited BBC.com and the BBC News app globally during the month of January 2015, generating a record 1.35 billion page views, which was an all-time high. In the U.S, BBC.com attracted more than 38 million unique visitors across desktop and mobile devices during the same period, a 49 percent year on year increase**.

Alongside the BBC's TV and digital offerings, more than 500 local public radio stations in the U.S broadcast BBC World Service content - mainly news and current affairs programming, including the flagship global newscast Newshour, reaching 10.5 million listeners a week***. In the U.S, BBC World Service English radio content is distributed by American Public Media™ (APM).