Biographies

Managing Director, BBC Worldwide Channels

Darren Childs is Managing Director, BBC Worldwide Channels, the UK's number one international channel operator in terms of reach.

Darren sits on BBC Worldwide's Board of Directors and is responsible for BBC Worldwide's various commercial channel interests both domestically and internationally. He also has responsibility for worldwide advertising sales across the channels' business and digital media.

Under Darren's leadership, BBC Worldwide Channels has achieved dramatic growth over the last two years, both in terms of subscribers and revenues. In 2006, he oversaw the launch of a new suite of fully localised BBC-branded thematic channels – BBC Entertainment, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Knowledge, CBeebies and BBC HD – which have so far rolled out across Asia, India, Australia, Africa, Latin America and Europe.

In addition, BBC Worldwide Channels took full control of Australia's UK.TV in 2008, having previously been a 20% stakeholder in the channel.

Other wholly-owned BBC Worldwide channels include BBC America and BBC Prime.

Through a joint venture in the UK with Virgin Media, BBC Worldwide Channels also has 11 UKTV channel brands (including Dave, Alibi, Watch, Yesterday, Gold, Eden and Blighty), and other joint-venture interests include BBC Canada and BBC Kids (with CanWest) and People+Arts and Animal Planet (with Discovery Communications Inc).

Showcasing the very best programming from the BBC and other UK production houses, the BBC's 42 international channels connect audiences in over 285 million unique homes and are broadcast in 15 different languages around the world.

Together, these global brands add value to UK programming by making British television accessible to international audiences and maximising revenues through channel subscription and advertising sales.

Prior to joining BBC Worldwide, Darren was Senior Vice President, International Networks for Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI), where he was responsible for International Networks in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

He oversaw the company's six wholly-owned channels, including AXN, and numerous joint-venture movie channels, including HBO, and was also responsible for initiating and developing new channel investments.

Before joining Sony Pictures Television, Darren spent several years in Asia, firstly as Director of Programming for MTV Asia and then as Director of Business Development at Channel V (part of the STAR TV platform).