Bye bye BBC Three — again.
The BBC will pull the plug on BBC Three for the second time in a decade in spring 2027, as the UK broadcaster confirmed network closures under plans to save £500 million ($666M).
Deadline first revealed last month that BBC Three, the youth network that has given rise to beloved British series including Fleabag and Gavin & Stacey, was in serious jeopardy.
The BBC originally planned to reveal the closures in late September, but the corporation delayed confirmation as it managed the timing of various cuts announcements across the organization.
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The BBC has confirmed that BBC Scotland and Radio 4 Extra will also close as linear networks in spring next year. Deadline first reported that Radio 4 Extra was at risk earlier this month.
It marks another brutal day for the British broadcaster, which also announced 100 layoffs in its news division over the coming months, saving £5.5M.
BBC Three will remain a brand on iPlayer, and the BBC has committed to increasing investment for younger audiences. BBC Scotland will also be retained on iPlayer.
In a memo to staff setting out the changes, BBC director-general Matt Brittin said: “We need to make every pound work harder for audiences as we respond to the immediate cost pressures and reinvent the BBC for a changing world. We all know that means tough choices.”
He added: “Much of the great content they currently carry will still be found where audiences already enjoy them on iPlayer and Sounds. While this follows media speculation, I recognise the confirmation of this news will be hard for audiences and colleagues.”
The BBC’s decision marks the second time BBC Three has been taken off air in the past 10 years. It was originally moved online in 2016 before former director general Tim Davie reversed the decision and the channel was restored to television in 2022.
Although BBC Three’s move to iPlayer was ahead of its time (a fact that was acknowledged by the BBC at the time), Davie’s U-turn bemused many — particularly as the network enjoyed a purple patch creatively online, launching series including beloved comedies Fleabag and This Country.
BBC Three is now home to shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, which was recently canceled by the BBC, and comedies including Things You Should Have Done and Smoggie Queens.
BBC Three falls under the remit of Kate Phillips, the corporation’s chief content officer. Fiona Campbell was the controller of the network until earlier this year, when she was promoted to director of factual content.
The BBC’s £500M target expands on a previous savings goal worth £1.5 billion. The bigger picture behind the cuts is that 94% of the UK population use the BBC every month, but fewer than 80% pay the £180 annual licence fee. The BBC is attempting to bridge this gap.
Up to 2,000 jobs are at risk under the savings strategy, while the BBC is also involved in tense negotiations with unions over employee pay rises. Unions have rejected two BBC offers, increasing the threat of industrial action.
The drumbeat of BBC cuts has been playing for weeks, with the broadcaster canceling shows including Radio 4’s You and Yours; axing sports bulletins; and making 110 layoffs in BBC Media Tech, the division that powers online services like iPlayer. BBC commissioners have also been asked to consider applying for voluntary redundancy, per an email seen by Deadline.
The BBC is slashing costs at the same time as executives are locked in talks with the government over renewing the corporation’s charter. Weekly meetings are taking place between government officials and BBC policy staff as they thrash out the broadcaster’s future funding arrangements.
