MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC‘s commercial arm BBC Worldwide has announced a deal with Chinese new media company BesTV to launch a CBeebies branded block on their multi screen platform.

The deal, announced at the opening day of the Shanghai TV Festival, is the first collaboration between a UK kids content provider and BesTV New Media.

Commencing this year, the deal will see over 20 million of BesTV‘s new media subscribers, who have access to CBeebies‘ preschool programmes like ‘Teletubbies‘, ‘Sarah And Duck‘, ‘Baby Jake‘ and ‘Andy‘s Wild Adventures‘ as a VOD service. Young learners and parents will be able to enjoy CBeebies programmes via BesTV‘s multi-screen service - through IPTV, Connect TV, OTT, tablets, and mobile.

This will be the first launch of CBeebies as a brand in China. BBC Worldwide VP and GM Greater China Pierre Cheung said, "We have a long term relationship with BesTV, who have been acquiring our BBC documentaries and drama since 2008. We are extremely excited to work with them again to launch the CBeebies brand, and look forward to working with them to promote our award-winning preschool brand in China."

BesTV New Media VP Zhangyue said, "Family subscribers are our target users, and the deal with BBC Worldwide to provide CBeebies branded programmes on BesTV is important to us. It gives our viewers and subscribers opportunities where families can come together in front of the TV to spend quality time together."

"CBeebies provides a range of pre-school programming designed to encourage learning through play in a consistently safe environment - attributes that we at BesTV agree and believe in as well. With this deal, we have upped the ante on our international preschool offering," he adds.