The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) will become the latest news organization to lock its content behind a paywall for American users, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter’s Lily Ford Thursday morning. Starting today, frequent visitors to the UK-based public broadcaster from the States will have the option to access a “premium experience” that provides unlimited ad-free access to the website, including a 24-hour livestream of the BBC News channel.
Those who opt into the service can choose between a yearly plan for $49.99 or a monthly version for $8.99. Americans unwilling or unable to pay for the service will maintain access to the BBC’s radio livestreams, podcasts, and other miscellaneous services for the foreseeable future, as well as “select global breaking news stories,” per Variety.
The announcement comes only weeks after The Guardian first reported executives within the organization were considering implementation of a subscription model for American users earlier this month. Some have accused the broadcaster of being opportunistic, taking advantage of a perceived polarization in American news media caused by Donald Trump’s re-election to offer more ‘objective’ coverage — at a cost.
Rebecca Glashow, the CEO of BBC Studios, stated instead that the plan was motivated by a goal to serve American audiences “better than ever before. “We’re bringing more of the BBC’s trusted, high-quality content together in one powerful, easy-to-access destination,” Glashow said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “Over the next few months, as we test and learn more about audience needs and habits, additional long-form factual content will be added to the offer for paying users. This is a major milestone and just the beginning of an exciting new chapter.”
Regardless of what motivated the network’s decision, it would be difficult to deny that the BBC could use the extra income. The last fifteen years have seen Britons increasingly abandon the license fee required to own a television in favor of streaming and other more Internet-based mediums, according to The Guardian. That’s a problem for the BBC, which receives much of its funding from those same fees. In addition to changing its model in the Americas, the network is also in the midst of trying to negotiate its charter with the British government.
The BBC also hinted that other services, such as documentaries and exclusive newsletters, could become part of its subscription model in the future. Variety reported that the BBC has no plans of introducing the model anywhere outside North America.
