MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide in India today announced a deal with AXN India providing the broadcaster with more than 60 hours of BBC’s factual entertainment and drama programmes. Titles comprise of four series of Top Gear, two series of Orphan Black and three series Sherlock. The deal includes the presale of Top Gear (series 21 & 22), Orphan Black (series two), and Sherlock (series three). All programmes will be seen exclusively on AXN India throughout India and its subcontinent.
BBC Worldwide Asia, SVP and GM and content lead Myleeta Aga commented: “This new acquisition by AXN is the largest we’ve had with the broadcaster to date. I’m very excited that viewers in India will now have access to some of the most popular and high quality drama and factual entertainment programmes that have come from BBC in the past year or so. Top Gear is the world’s largest and most popular motoring programme and is the ‘most watched factual programme’ in the world, according to the Guinness World Records. Sherlock has won multiple awards and catapulted its stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (Watson) to international stardom. The first series of Orphan Black has received critical acclaim, won a number of accolades and has made a break-out star of Tatiana Maslany.”
Talking about their association with BBC Worldwide, AXN India programming head Arpit Mankar, said: “We are very happy to extend our relationship with BBC. The first of our BBC acquired programmes, Sherlock (series one) will premiere on AXN India on 4 November on the Mon-Thu 9.30 pm time band. We are confident that the series will be well received by our audiences; so much so that we’ve already ordered Sherlock series three even while it’s in production. Top Gear has innumerable fans in India and we are happy to now be the home of the latest series of Top Gear in India. Orphan Black has received such great reviews that we’ve acquired both series’ – even though series two is still being shot. The thriller is bound to take viewers by surprise!”
Top Gear (series 20) started airing in mid October every Friday 9 pm while Sherlock (series one) will launch on November 4. Orphan Black is set to premiere first and exclusively on AXN this December.
