BBC Primetime will reach 13 million homes in South Africa, marking BBC Studios’ widest reaching branded service in EMEA
- BBC Studios’ first hand-crafted content block in Africa will be available on S3 weeknights between 21:00-23:00.
- BBC Primetime will give S3 audiences access to a hand-picked selection of BBC Studios’ award-winning dramas, documentaries and factual entertainment. Shows include Luther, Critical, Cheaters, Top Gear, Louis Theroux: Forbidden America and more.
- BBC Primetime launches in May 2024
BBC Studios and South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) announce BBC Primetime, a brand-new content block for S3, featuring a hand-picked selection of award-winning dramas, factual entertainment and documentaries from BBC Studios’ award-winning catalogue. BBC Primetime will be available to watch weeknights between 21:00 and 23:00 on S3 and on SABC+ from May 2024 and is BBC Studios’ widest reaching branded service in EMEA.
BBC Primetime has been hand-crafted by BBC Studios, offering S3 viewers access to globally recognized content Monday-Friday. The content block will include a range of shows including psychological crime thriller starring Idris Elba, Luther, intense medical drama, Critical, gripping factual motoring show, Top Gear (season 14-17), and romantic comedy, Cheaters. Documentary series, Louis Theroux: Forbidden America, exploring three controversial corners of American entertainment and culture, will also be available to watch from launch.
Pierre Cloete, the Commercial Director at BBC Studios in Africa says “I am so excited to launch our first BBC branded block in Africa with SABC. BBC Primetime will be hand-picked for S3 audiences, packed with a selection of incredible programming from our award-winning catalogue. From intense thrillers, crime dramas and inspiring documentaries, this marks our first block for free to air audiences in South Africa, giving 13 million homes access to BBC Studios’ shows. I can’t wait for the 2024 launch.”
Sane Zondi, Programming Manager at SABC says “This partnership with BBC Studios is born out of the need for us to fulfil our commitment in delivering high quality international content to our viewers. We are excited to have access to a vast catalogue from the BBC, and the unlimited world-class entertainment our viewers will be able to enjoy through BBC Primetime on S3. The deal allows us to bring back some of the iconic BBC titles to our viewers which formed weekly habitual viewing, with Top Gear being the most notable one. I know our viewers will be delighted for the return to their screens and I know it will form their weekly engagements with us. There is a range of new content which we are keen for our audiences watch. We look forward to seeing some of the sentiments and reactions across our social media platforms on this great new era on our channel.”
BBC Primetime will be available to watch on S3 and SABC+ from May 2024
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Logos and promo: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/tapdqsvnnz4evla6gd847/h?rlkey=hwkuaesdhqiade3redm3ekq7e&dl=0
For more information, please contact:
BBC Studios Publicist
Elisa Peacham
SABC Publicity Specialist
Caroline Phalakatshela
NOTES TO EDITORS
BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group with sales of £2.1 billion (2021/22: £1,630 million). Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the global Content Studio, which produces, invests and distributes content globally and Channels & Streaming, with BBC branded channels, services and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. Around 2,500 hours of award-winning British programmes are made by the business every year, with over 80% of total BBC Studios revenues coming from non-BBC customers including Discovery, Apple and Netflix. Its content is internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, with brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who. BBC.com is BBC Studios’ global digital news platform, offering up-to-the-minute international news, in-depth analysis and features.
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About S3
S3 is a revamped channel servicing the independent thinker and the progressive South African millennial. We want our viewers to open up to new lands, new content, new ideas and new ways of being. Through this new positioning, S3 invites viewers to take in all the new programming on offer to open up to a dialogue with your public broadcasting channel. Ultimately, our vision is to foster the spirit of curiosity and spearhead a generation of free thinkers. S3 is opening itself up to new viewers. These viewers, who fall under the millennial umbrella, are more socially conscious and environmentally aware than their predecessors. They are progressive and open-minded, and S3 will champion their frame of mind.
