BBC First celebrated its first anniversary in the Middle East and North Africa region on February 1, and will continue searching for ways to localise content, said representatives at BBC Showcase in Liverpool last month.
The TV channel landed on OSN last year as part of BBC’s efforts to expand in the Middle East.
In April, another BBC channel for pre-schoolers, CBeebies, joined Etisalat-operated TV network beIN.
“Viewers are faced with so much choice these days in terms of what to consume and how to consume content. The good thing about BBC is it offers a trusted guide to lead you through the morass of choice which can be frustrating and confusing for viewers,” said Natasha Hussain, VP and GM for Middle East and Mediterranean region at BBC Worldwide, on February 20.
Flagstone shows such Sherlock and Luther are a hit with viewers in the region. The mystery-drama Doctor Foster, as well as long-running crime TV series in general, performed well, too.
Hussain, who last year suggested there may be a chance of a Great Arab Bake Off, said her team is still working towards creating localised content.
“One of the things we’re thinking about, I’d love us to do an Arabic version of The Office. The team is working on it. Again, that’s something in the scripted area that we would love to do,” she said.
