BBC Studios has signed a new deal with a South Korean agency to expand its production, investment and distribution of Korean television content.
Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) has unveiled its deal with BBC Studios and Southeast Asian streaming platform Viu to address constraints and challenges in the domestic broadcasting and video content production environment, such as rising production costs for TV dramas and declining documentary programming.
KOCCA intends to ensure “gender diversity in K-content and facilitate stable overseas expansion through cooperation with these two organizations, which possess outstanding and global production expertise. [streaming] platforms.”
BBC Studios, a subsidiary of the British public broadcaster BBC, is responsible for the production and distribution of content across its 55 channel feeds worldwide. Viu is a streamer operating in 16 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, offering both ad-supported video-on-demand and subscription-based video-on-demand services.
Ryan Shiotani, Senior Vice President of Content at BBC Studios Asia, said: “BBC Studios is delighted to partner with KOCCA to bring factual K content to audiences across Asia and beyond, across our network of linear and streaming channels. South Korea is a dynamic creative industry and we know there are many brilliant Korean stories waiting to be told to a wider audience. Our new partnership with KOCCA to develop, co-produce and distribute Korean documentaries will help shape the future of the global broadcast and video content industry.”
Viu COO Lofai Lo added, “K-content is one of the leading content offerings on the Viu platform. We are very pleased to further strengthen our long-standing relationship with the Korean entertainment industry through our collaboration with KOCCA and provide our viewers with high-quality Korean programming. This agreement goes beyond mere business cooperation; it represents a long-term partnership aimed at driving the future of the global broadcast content industry.”