BBC Studios announced that its drama channel BBC First debuted in Slovakia and Czech Republic, with an SVOD collection through T-Mobile, O2 and Slovak Telekom, being available as a linear channel in these countries. The channel is fully localized with Czech subtitles, and joins BBC Earth and BBC News, which are already available in both countries.
Bartosz Witak, managing director of CEE at BBC Studios, said: ‘We are delighted to witness the continued growth and success of our global brand, BBC First, over the last decade. I can’t imagine a better way to commemorate this hit than by extending its reach to new audiences, together with our great partners in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. BBC First presents a distinctive opportunity for British drama enthusiasts, offering a wide range of content including gritty, challenging narratives and intricate storylines, as well as light-hearted police dramas’.
BBC First highlights titles like Six Four, an acclaimed four-part thriller starring Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy), which delves into the themes of kidnapping, corruption and betrayal when a police detective’s daughter goes missing. The series will premiere on June 5.
Another title on BBC First is the first two seasons of Maigret, starring Rowan Atkinson as legendary French detective Jules Maigret. The police series set in 1950s Paris will begin airing on June 7.
In addition, the first season of Hope Street will premiere on BBC First beginning June 20. The show, set in the fictional town of Port Devine on the coast of Northern Ireland, centers on the Port Devine police department and the mysterious arrival of English detective Leila Hussain played by Amara Karan, the first Muslim policewoman in the town’s history.
