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BBC Set to Strike Content Deal With YouTube, FT Reports

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The BBC is planning to produce programmes specifically for YouTube for the first time, as the British public broadcaster looks to diversify revenue streams amid a shift in viewing habits toward online platforms, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

According to the report, the BBC will create tailored shows designed initially for YouTube audiences, which would later also be made available on the broadcaster’s own platforms, including BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. The deal could be announced as early as next week, the FT said, citing sources familiar with the plans.

The BBC declined to comment on the report, while Google, which owns YouTube, did not respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.

The BBC is primarily funded through a licence fee paid by UK households that watch television, allowing its domestic services to remain free of advertising. However, the FT said the YouTube partnership would focus on younger audiences and enable the BBC to generate additional income by running advertisements on content viewed outside Britain.

A limited number of older BBC series may also be made available on YouTube, though this is not expected to be the core of the agreement, the report added.

The move comes as YouTube’s reach in the UK continues to grow. In December, YouTube attracted 51.9 million British viewers, narrowly overtaking the BBC’s 50.8 million, according to Barb Audiences, the UK’s official body for measuring television and video consumption.

Separately, the BBC remains embroiled in legal controversy in the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump is suing the broadcaster for at least $10 billion over the editing of clips from a speech that appeared to suggest he directed supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The BBC has apologised for the edit, which led to the resignations of its two most senior executives, but has said it will contest the lawsuit and seek its dismissal.

iHeartMedia Shares Surge to Two-Year High on Report of Netflix Licensing Talks

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Shares of iHeartMedia jumped 22% on Tuesday to their highest level in more than two years after a Bloomberg report revealed that Netflix is in talks to license video podcasts from the U.S. radio and podcasting giant. The rally marks iHeart’s best trading day in months, signaling renewed investor optimism about the company’s growth prospects.

According to the report, Netflix aims to secure exclusive rights to select iHeart video podcasts, potentially removing them from YouTube and intensifying competition among streaming platforms. A partnership could bring iHeart’s top shows to a global audience and create new opportunities for advertisers and podcast creators as the industry evolves toward more visual formats.

Analysts said the talks reflect a broader shift in the media landscape, where audio platforms are increasingly embracing video-driven engagement to boost viewer retention. A study by Zebracat earlier this year found that average engagement with video podcasts was 2.7 times higher than with audio-only versions on mobile devices.

The potential deal mirrors Netflix’s recent move with Spotify, which announced last month that its most popular video podcasts would appear on Netflix from early 2026. If finalized, the iHeart collaboration could establish the streaming giant as a major player in video podcasting and mark a significant milestone in iHeartMedia’s post-pandemic turnaround.

CNN to launch $6.99 “All Access” streaming subscription on October 28

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CNN will debut a new $6.99-per-month subscription tier called “All Access” on October 28, marking its latest move into streaming three years after Warner Bros Discovery shut down CNN+.

The new U.S.-only service will combine live and on-demand video programming with full access to CNN.com articles and a library of CNN Originals, the network said on Thursday. The “All Access” package expands on CNN’s existing Basic tier, which launched last year and offers unlimited digital content and subscriber-only articles.

Current pay-TV subscribers will be able to log in to the new service at no extra cost, while digital-only users can subscribe monthly or opt for an annual plan at $69.99, discounted to $41.99 for the first year if purchased by January 5.

CNN CEO Mark Thompson, the former New York Times executive credited with driving its digital transformation, has been pushing to modernize CNN’s business as Warner Bros Discovery seeks to offset falling cable revenue and refocus on streaming.

“This is an essential step in CNN’s evolution,” said Alex MacCallum, CNN’s executive vice president for digital products and services.

The launch comes as rival Fox Corp rolled out its own subscription-based service, Fox One, in August for $19.99 per month, signaling intensifying competition for paid digital news audiences.