The BBC Studios production division was formed in 2016 and launched as a commercial entity in 2017,[6] enabling it to produce programming for other broadcasters and services to generate profit to return to the BBC to supplement licence fee income.

As a for-profit company, BBC Studios would be allowed to pay higher wages to its executives and talent, and no longer face scrutiny over them as it did as a public entity.

[13] The proposal attracted criticism from independent studios, who felt that it would result in the formation of a "super-indie" that would unduly benefit from "guaranteed" programme commissions from the BBC.

The BBC stated that by handling both the production and sales of its programming within one unit, it would improve efficiency and be in line with the "global norms" of other major international media companies.

[25] Three years later in October 2022, BBC Studios announce that they had taken full control of independent drama production label Firebird Pictures by acquiring the remaining stake in the indie outfit and placed Firebird under their subsidiaries.

In addition, Discovery announced a 10-year agreement with the BBC's Natural History Unit to acquire exclusive subscription video-on-demand rights to its content worldwide (which would be incorporated into a forthcoming global streaming brand), and co-fund a development team.

[27][28] In August 2019, BBC Studios announced a long-term deal with WarnerMedia's upcoming HBO Max for streaming rights to past seasons of top BBC programmes such as Doctor Who, The Honourable Woman, Luther, and Top Gear.

[33][34] More recently, the studio had set up a development deal with EbonyLife Media, which was affiliated with Sony Pictures Television, headed by Mo Abudu.

[37] In October 2023, press reports confirmed that BBC Studios had reached a multi-million pound financial settlement to compensate Top Gear presenter Freddie Flintoff for the injuries he sustained in a car crash when filming a Top Gear episode in December 2022.

The service was announced by BBC Worldwide and ITV plc as a joint venture in 2016 and launched in 2017 in North America;[69][70] the international service remains a joint venture of BBC Studios and ITV plc.