In the face of limited budgets and a changing commissioning strategy last year, the BBC focused on ordering up more kids and family content, according to new data from Ampere Analysis. 

While other UK broadcasters and SVODs cut spending on commissions in 2023, the Beeb managed to increase its kids commissions by 23% (37 orders compared to 31 in 2022). And kids content racked up the most scripted commissions of all BBC genres last year, beating crime and thriller (29 commissions) and comedy, which dropped 27% to 24 greenlights. 

This kids and family success defies some of the broader trends in the UK market, which saw an 18% decline in overall scripted TV commissions in 2023—down to 259—as major broadcasters cut spending and most SVODs tightened their belts, the market research firm finds. (This includes UK first-run shows and renewals of scripted series by major commissioners.) 

A weak advertising market led to both pay TV operators and commercial free-to-air broadcasters spending less on scripted commissions, resulting in 48% fewer commissions for pay TV operators, 36% fewer for free-to-air broadcasters and 21% fewer for SVODs. 

The BBC’s focus on kids content also fits into its broader goal of catching up with how families consume media. The pubcaster is switching to ordering multiple-episode content that can live on iPlayer and satisfy VOD binge-watching habits, instead of ordering one-episode specials (only 7.5% of its commissions were these one-offs—its lowest ratio in five years). To mitigate risk, the Beeb also banked on IPs with existing followings, with book adaptations comprising one-fifth of its scripted commissions last year. 

Ampere expects the BBC to do more co-commissioning and partnerships in 2024 to maintain its output. (Just 13% of its scripted orders were co-commissions in 2023.)