BBC Earth is a documentary

subscription television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to Subscription business model, subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichan ...

channel featuring premium factual programming. The channel is wholly owned and operated by

BBC Studios BBC Studios is a British content company. It is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC that was formed in April 2018 through the merger of the BBC's commercial production arm and the BBC's commercial international distribution arm, BBC Worldwide. ...

. Originally set to roll out internationally in 2014, it was later announced that it would launch in 2015, starting in Poland.

History

In October 2013, the BBC announced that in 2014 it would rollout 3 new brands – BBC Earth,

BBC First BBC First is an entertainment subscription television channel featuring comedy, crime, drama and film programming, originating from UK and mostly from the BBC. The channel is wholly owned and operated by BBC Studios. The channel began rolling ou ...

, and BBC Brit, with BBC Earth to be dedicated to premium factual programming. It was later announced that the channel would air series such as ''

Frozen Planet ''Frozen Planet'' is a 2011 British nature documentary series, co-produced by the BBC and The Open University. It was filmed by the BBC Natural History Unit. The production team, which includes executive producer Alastair Fothergill and ser ...

'' and ''

Wonders of the Universe ''Wonders of the Universe'' is a 2011 television series produced by the BBC, Discovery Channel, and Science Channel, hosted by physicist Professor Brian Cox. ''Wonders of the Universe'' was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two from ...

''. In addition, roughly 30 hours of new content would be ordered for the channel in its first year. The channel is set to replace

BBC Knowledge BBC Knowledge was a British television channel which was owned by the BBC and was launched on 1 June 1999, broadcasting documentary, cultural and educational programmes. It was shut down on 2 March 2002, and was replaced by BBC Four. History L ...

; however, if the existing channel is successful in certain markets, it may continue to operate.

International roll-out

Poland

BBC Earth premiered in Poland on 1 February 2015, replacing BBC Knowledge.

Nordic countries

BBC Earth replaced BBC Knowledge in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland on 13 April 2015.

Hungary

BBC Earth replaced BBC Knowledge on 14 April 2015.

Romania

On 14 April 2015, BBC Earth was launched in Romania, replacing BBC Knowledge.

Turkey

BBC Earth launched in Turkey, replacing BBC Knowledge, on 14 April 2015.

Latin America

BBC Earth launched in the Latin American countries of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela on 1 September 2015, replacing BBC HD. On 13 April 2017, the channel ceased its transmissions only for Latin America along with

BBC Entertainment BBC Entertainment is an international television channel broadcasting comedy, drama, light entertainment, reality and children's programming (some regions only) from the BBC, Channel 4 and other UK production houses. The channel broadcasts regi ...

and

CBeebies CBeebies is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 years and under. Its sister channel CBBC is aimed at older childr ...

South Africa

The channel launched in South Africa on the DStv (satellite) platform replacing BBC Knowledge on 1 September 2015.

Asia

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

, BBC Earth launched in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam on 3 October 2015, replacing BBC Knowledge. In the Philippines, it was launch on 1 April 2017 along with

BBC World News BBC World News is an international English-language pay television network, operated under the ''BBC Global News Limited'' division of the BBC, which is a public corporation of the UK government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and S ...

. On 12 September 2017, it was announced to be launch via Laosat DTH in Laos. In Myanmar, the channel was available via

Sky Net SKYNET Direct to Home (DTH) is a Satellite television pay TV operator provided nationwide in Myanmar by Shwe Than Lwin Media Co.,Ltd. It was launched in November 2010. Sky Net broadcasts a total 80 channels via Apstar 7 satellite. It also provi ...

and CANAL+. On September 14, 2021, BBC Earth HD, along with BBC Lifestyle HD, is back on Malaysia satellite TV service Astro, effective from 11:50pm.

Serbia

In Serbia, BBC Earth was launched on 28 December 2015 replacing BBC Entertainment.

Eastern Europe

BBC Earth premiered in Eastern European countries on 1 January 2016, replacing BBC Entertainment.

Greece

In Greece, the channel was launched at

Cosmote TV Cosmote TV is the corporate name for two pay television services in Greece, owned by Greek telecommunication operator OTE. The two services are as follows: *Cosmote TV via OTT – Streaming platform *Cosmote TV via Satellite – Satellite telev ...

on 1 October 2017.

Middle East & North Africa (MENA)

BBC Earth premiered in Middle East & North Africa through the beIN DTH service effective on 5 April 2018.

India

BBC have entered into a joint venture with

Multi Screen Media Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited, doing business as Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN or SPNI), is an Indian media conglomerate owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Culver Max Entertainment manages and operates 26 television channels, ...

to launch the channel in India, branded as Sony BBC Earth. It was launched on 6 March 2017, following regulatory approval of the joint venture.

Kareena Kapoor Kareena Kapoor Khan (; ''née'' Kapoor; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood, Hindi films. She is the daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. Noted for pl ...

is the ambassador for this channel.

Canada

On 6 December 2016,

BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetises BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...

and Canadian media company

Blue Ant Media Blue Ant Media Inc. is a Canadian broadcasting and media company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The company was founded by Michael MacMillan and formed in 2011 following the acquisition of Glassbox Television. Its name was chosen in refere ...

announced plans to launch a Canadian version of BBC Earth. The channel launched on 24 January 2017 and on 18 February 2017 hosted the Canadian premiere of

Planet Earth II ''Planet Earth II'' is a 2016 British nature documentary series produced by the BBC as a sequel to ''Planet Earth'', which was broadcast in 2006. The series is presented and narrated by Sir David Attenborough with the main theme music composed ...

, on the same date as the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, where it also aired on

BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary ser ...

. BBC Earth replaced

radX BBC Earth (formerly named Rush HD and radX) is a Canadian discretionary service channel owned by Blue Ant Media. The brand and much of its programming is licensed from BBC Studios, a subsidiary of the BBC that wholly owns the BBC Earth brand. The ...

. Due to foreign ownership restrictions by the

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; french: Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes, links=) is a public organization in Canada with mandate as a regulatory agency for broadcasti ...

, the channel is fully owned by

, with the BBC Earth brand and programming licensed from

New Zealand

BBC Earth launched on

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...

on 22 October 2018 in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, replacing BBC Knowledge.

Australia

BBC Earth launched on

Foxtel Foxtel is an Australian pay television company—operating in cable television, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April 2018, superseding an earlier company from 1995. The service was establi ...

and Fetch TV in Australia on 10 October 2019, replacing BBC Knowledge.

United States

In the United States, BBC Earth does not have a channel in the country, but airs all BBC Earth programs on

, and channels owned by

Warner Bros. Discovery Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at 230 Park Avenue South in New York City. It was formed after the spin-off of WarnerMedia by AT&T, and its merger with Di ...

, while

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

also does the same thing, but also including partnerships in ''

Nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...

'', ''

Nova A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...

'', and more.

Programming blocks

There are BBC Earth programming blocks on the following channels: *

ProSieben Maxx ProSieben Maxx is a German free-to-air channel owned by ProSiebenSat.1. The channel started broadcasting on 3 September 2013 with the movie '' Captain America: The First Avenger'' at 8:15 p.m. On 30 July 2013 ProSieben Maxx received a DVB-T b ...

(Germany; since 3 September 2013). * #0, previously

Canal+ Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...

(Spain; since June 2015). *

Eén Eén (stylized as één; en, "one") is a public Dutch-language TV station in Belgium, owned by the VRT, which also owns Ketnet, Canvas and several radio stations. Although the channel is commercial-free, short sponsorship messages are broadc ...

(Flanders; since Autumn 2015). * WOWOW (Japan; since 2010)

References

External links

BBC Earth Official Website

BBC Earth
at

{{Subscription television channels in Australia International BBC television channels Television channels and stations established in 2015 Television channels in Poland Pan-Nordic television channels Television networks in Hungary Television stations in Romania Television stations in Turkey Television stations in South Africa 2015 establishments in the United Kingdom Television channels in North Macedonia Television networks in Australia English-language television stations in Australia BBC Worldwide