BBC Three

"BBC3" redirects here. For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 3. For other uses, see BBC3 (disambiguation).
For the internet service of the same name, see BBC Three (streaming service).

BBC Three
Logo used since 2022
CountryUnited Kingdom
Broadcast area
NetworkBBC Television
BBC One (2019–2022)
HeadquartersLondon, England
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format1080i/1080p[a] HDTV
(downscaled to 576i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
OwnerBBC
Sister channelsBBC One
BBC Two
BBC Four
BBC News
BBC Parliament
CBBC
CBeebies
BBC Scotland
BBC Alba
S4C
History
Launched9 February 2003; 21 years ago (2003-02-09) (original)
4 March 2019; 5 years ago (2019-03-04) (block on BBC One)
1 February 2022; 2 years ago (2022-02-01) (relaunch)
ReplacedBBC Choice (2003)
BBC Three (streaming service) (2022)
Closed16 February 2016; 8 years ago (2016-02-16) (original)
31 January 2022; 2 years ago (2022-01-31) (block on BBC One)
Links
WebsiteBBC Three
Availability
Terrestrial
FreeviewChannel 23 (SD)
Channel 107 (HD; England & NI only)
Channel 7 (Old)
Streaming media
BBC iPlayerWatch live (UK only)

BBC Three is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes for a 16 to 34-year-old target audience. It covers all genres including particularly new comedies, drama, LGBTQ+ programmes, music, fashion, documentaries, brief news, adult animation, and drama series.[1] The television channel closed down in 2016 and was relaunched in 2022 after being replaced by an online-only BBC Three streaming channel.[2] The channel broadcasts daily from 7:00 pm to 4:00 am, timesharing with CBBC (which starts at 7:00 am).

BBC Three is the BBC's youth-orientated television channel,[3] its remit to provide "innovative programming" to a target audience of viewers between 16 and 34 years old, leveraging technology as well as new talent.[1] Unlike its commercial rivals, 90% of BBC Three's output originated from the United Kingdom. Notable exceptions were Family Guy and American Dad (both of them originating in the United States). It and sister channel BBC Four also carry occasional BBC Sport programming as an overflow for the BBC's other channels.

Following budget cuts at the BBC, the first iteration of BBC Three ceased operations in February 2016, despite public opposition, moving to a BBC Three-branded streaming channel the next day on the iPlayer.[4] It returned to broadcast television in the form of a late-night strand on BBC One on Monday to Wednesday nights since 4 March 2019. On 2 March 2021, the BBC confirmed that it planned to relaunch BBC Three's linear television channel in 2022 subject to regulatory approval,[5] which was approved in November that year.[6]


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  1. ^ a b "BBC Three Service Licence" (PDF). BBC Trust. September 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  2. ^ "T-Minus Three weeks until BBC Three is on TV". Media Centre. British Broadcasting Corporation. 11 January 2022. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  3. ^ Alex Ritman (1 June 2015). "BBC TV Boss on Youth Network Going Online: It's a "Risk" – The Hollywood Reporter". Hollywoodreporter.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  4. ^ "BBC Three to move online from February". BBC News. 26 November 2015. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  5. ^ "BBC Three to return as a broadcast channel in January 2022". BBC. 2 March 2021. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  6. ^ "BBC Three to return as TV channel in February". BBC News. 25 November 2021. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.