BBC Three (streaming service)

This article is about the British Internet television service launched in 2016. For the British television channel of the same name that broadcast from 2003 to 2016 and returned in 2022, see BBC Three. For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 3.
"BBC III" and "BBC II!" redirect here. For other uses, see BBC3 (disambiguation) and BBC2 (disambiguation).

BBC Three
Final logo, used from 2021 to 2022.
Ownership
OwnerBBC
History
Launched16 February 2016; 8 years ago (2016-02-16)
ReplacedBBC Three (linear service, first iteration, 2003–2016)
Closed1 February 2022; 2 years ago (2022-02-01)
Replaced byBBC Three (linear service, second iteration, 2022–present)
Links
Websitewww.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree

BBC Three was a British over-the-top internet television service operated by the BBC. It was launched on 16 February 2016 as a replacement for the linear BBC Three television channel, which closed down the same day but was later relaunched on 1 February 2022. The service produces and streams television and web series aimed at the demographic of 16 to 34-year-olds, with a particular focus on comedy and documentary programming.

BBC Three content was primarily streamed on BBC iPlayer, while the service's other content, including web series and other materials, were also distributed through presences on social networks. All full-length original programming commissioned for BBC Three had to eventually be broadcast on the linear BBC One and BBC Two television channels following their online premiere.[1][2] Beginning in March 2019, BBC One introduced a dedicated timeslot for BBC Three programmes on Mondays through Wednesdays following the BBC News at Ten.

On 20 May 2020, it was announced within the BBC's annual plan that the corporation is "considering the case" for returning BBC Three to linear television, four years after it was taken off air.[3] The annual plan also stated that the BBC would be "backing the success" of the channel by doubling its budget, after producing a variety of critically acclaimed series including Normal People, Fleabag and This Country.[4] Research released in September 2020 showed that BBC Three was being viewed for 89% less time per-year since the closure of its linear broadcast platform, and 72% if rebroadcasts of its content on other BBC linear channels were included. In the year after it closed its linear broadcast platform its weekly audience of viewers aged 16–34 declined 69% compared with the year before the closure.[5] On 2 March 2021, the BBC Press office announced that BBC Three would return to digital terrestrial TV on 1 February 2022, subject to regulatory approval[6] which was given in 2021.

  1. ^ Walker-Arnott, Ellie (22 January 2016). "BBC3's move online – what can we expect?". Radio Times. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference wired-postreboot was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "BBC Three could return as full TV channel". BBC News. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  4. ^ "BBC Annual Plan 2020/21" (PDF). BBC. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 May 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2022_relaunch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).