BBC To Review Foreign Acquisitions After Scooby-Doo Row
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- Matt Brittin, six weeks into his role as BBC director general, told the UK Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Wednesday that he is examining whether the BBC has the "balance right" on foreign content acquisitions, with a possible budget cut under review.
- The review follows anger from ITV, Sky, and Channel 4 over the BBC outbidding commercial rivals for U.S. series, including a competitive deal last year to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Scooby-Doo and rights to Schitt's Creek.
- Labour MP Natasha Irons challenged Brittin at the hearing, asking: "What's the public service value in outbidding commercial broadcasters for things like Scooby-Doo when you could be investing in Britain?"
- Brittin defended the spending, noting less than 5% of the BBC's content budget goes to foreign acquisitions and arguing the shows can drive viewing to public service content such as Newsround.
- The review sits inside the BBC's broader effort to save £500M ($670M) over the next three years, with Brittin confirming acquisitions are being looked at "as part of the cost savings."
- ITV's written submission to the committee urged the government to insert a charter rule blocking the BBC from spending public service broadcasting funds on non-UK acquired content, except where the BBC is the "purchaser of last resort."
- Sky's submission argued the BBC's charter should prevent iPlayer from "evolving into an aggregation platform for third-party content."
Why it matters: With the BBC hunting for £500M ($670M) in savings, Brittin's review gives the corporation a convenient rationale to walk back foreign acquisitions that account for less than 5% of its content budget but generate outsized political heat from rivals — meaning future US hits may bypass UK audiences or land on ITV, Sky, or Channel 4 instead, while ITV and Sky push for a binding charter change that would constrain BBC commissioning power well beyond this dispute.
