Huawei Signs BBC Studios Deal for Content

Chinese electronics giant Huawei has struck a deal with BBC Studios to show 300 hours of video content on its mobile devices in 26 countries.

According to C21 Media, the deal includes British shows such as drama Call the Midwife, dreamed Ghost and science series Wonders of the Solar System. The agreement covers countries in Latin America, countries in Western and Central Europe, Russia, the Nordics Region, the Middle East and South Africa.

“This new agreement gives us the opportunity to create a long-term multi-territory licensing relationship with Huawei Video and we’re delighted to have a significant presence on the platform,” said Paul Dempsey, president of global distribution at BBC Studios.

“We believe [the BBC’s catalog] will really appeal to both our existing and new customers, as we continue to take Huawei Video to more markets around the world,” added Alex Zhang, president of Huawei Consumer Cloud Service.

U.S. video programming suppliers—in fact, every U.S. firm—have been banned by the Trump Administration from doing business with Huawei. The American government has accused Huawei of using its smart phones and broadband networking equipment to spy on the U.S. for the Chinese government.

Huawei is a major supplier of 5G networking gear and a key competitor to Western technology vendors for the global broadband infrastructure market. 

Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!