BBC Studios chooses SES for playout and distribution

The BBC’s commercial arm BBC Studios (BBCS) and its UK channel subsidiary UKTV have chosen satellite operator SES to manage the playout and distribution of over 50 linear channels and their associated video on demand services. 

SES will provide playout, content processing, distribution, and VOD services, delivering BBCS and UKTV content to a network of affiliates globally and in the UK. These services will be based on SES’s European global delivery services with technical playout infrastructure provided from SES’s new Stockley Park facility in London and with its Munich playout facility overseeing operational management.

“Our UK and global audiences and advertisers expect seamlessly delivered high-quality services, and in the transforming world of broadcast we need flexibility and responsiveness to meet ever-changing audience demands. By selecting SES, we believe we have found a partner that is committed to delivering innovation and can meet our business needs going into the future,” said Marcus Arthur, president UK, Ireland BBC Studios and CEO, UKTV.

“We are truly excited to be delivering a complete set of video services to BBCS. Our London and Munich service delivery approach is specially crafted so that broadcasters and production houses like BBCS and UKTV can focus on producing great content while we take care of the content preparation, playout, and delivery. This dual-facility approach is fundamental to our success in ensuring that we have always-on, fully backed-up content delivery services and will enable us to provide the highest quality of service for BBCS,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES.