Hit shows – Justin’s House and Mr Bloom’s Nursery – to launch on the app CBeebies favourite Justin Fletcher to compile a programme selection for the Global BBC iPlayer
Click to tweet: .@BBCiPlayerGLBL in Western Europe to launch CBeebies and Family – two genres dedicated to family viewing http://bbc.in/Od5bnC
Derren Lawford, Head of Programming and Scheduling, for the pilot Global BBC iPlayer speaking today (Friday, 6th July 2012) at the Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield, announced the launch of two new genres dedicated to family viewing on the app. CBeebies will give parents a one-stop shop destination for all programmes for pre-schoolers. Family will give older children CBBC favourites like Newsround, Deadly 60, classic shows like Rentaghost and films like The Snow Queen. Both genres are due to launch in the summer on the app across Western Europe.
CBeebies favourite Justin’s House (a fun, engaging pantomime style show with lots of comedy moments and cameo appearances from a host of CBeebies stars) has also been secured to show in all territories on the app. The Global BBC iPlayer has also secured the rights to showcase Mr Bloom’s Nursery (a live action and puppets programme that shows how young children can learn from growing and nurturing plants and vegetables), in a selection of territories.
On making the announcement, Derren said: “In an on demand world, parents want to ensure their children can watch shows in a safe, fun, trusted and curated environment. Given its outstanding domestic and international reputation, I can’t think of a better brand than CBeebies to help the Global BBC iPlayer do just that.”
Henrietta Hurford-Jones, BBC Worldwide’s Director of CBeebies Investment added: “By introducing CBeebies and Family onto the pilot Global BBC iPlayer, we continue to build on all the work we have done, by working closely with the UK CBeebies team, to introduce this much loved and unique brand to parents and children around the world.
“The Global BBC iPlayer gives subscribers a new and exciting way to experience all the very best CBeebies has to offer.”
The new CBeebies shows will join the list of children’s content currently on the app which include Something Special, Zingzillas, 3rd and Bird, Charlie and Lola, In the Night Garden, Show Me Show Me and Tikkabilla with more coming soon.
To launch the new CBeebies genre on the Global BBC iPlayer, Justin Fletcher, popular star of Justin’s House and Something Special, is compiling a selection of his favourite CBeebies shows to appear on the homepage of the app.
He said, "CBeebies prides itself on its value of learning through play and I'm delighted to pull together a collection of fun, engaging and entertaining preschool programmes for parents and children in Western Europe."
During his appearance at the Children’s Media Conference, Derren also shared some of the initial findings of how subscribers use family content on the app which includes:
- The current Family and kids genre is the third biggest genre on the app
- Charlie and Lola is one of the top five shows of any kind on the app
- 17% of surveyed subscribers say their children use the app too
CBeebies is a multiplatform brand for preschoolers aged six years and under which encourages children to learn through play. The brand’s emphasis on education and entertainment is supported by the core BBC values and make the channel trustworthy, reliable, informative and educational. In the UK, CBeebies offers a mix of new and landmark, high-quality, UK-produced programmes to educate and entertain the BBC’s youngest audiences. The service provides a range of preschool programming designed to encourage learning through play for children aged six and under, in a consistently safe environment. The international CBeebies channel is wholly-owned by BBC Worldwide and is available in the following territories: Pan Asia, India, Australia, Pan Latin America & the US Hispanic market, Poland, South Africa and the Nordic region.
