The BBC has announced a new lineup of video podcasts on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds and YouTube, extending popular TV shows and podcasts to attract younger audiences. This initiative follows a survey showing that three in five podcast fans watched a podcast in the past week. Key additions include extensions for Sort Your Life Out, Race Across the World and Uncanny.
The BBC's expansion builds on the success of companion video podcasts tied to hit TV programs, such as The Traitors: Uncloaked, which achieved 11.8 million combined plays on BBC Sounds and iPlayer from October 6 to November 3.
Among the new offerings is Sort Your Life Out Unpacked, hosted by Dilly Carter, where she chats with celebrity guests about personal items from their homes, deciding whether to keep, donate or recycle them. Guests include Elizabeth Day, Lorraine Kelly, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Kerry Katona, Eddie Kadi, Dr Alex George, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Stacey Solomon. It launches on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds on April 7, produced by Optomen.
Race Across the World: The Detour, presented by Scott Mills and Alfie Watts, will provide travel tips and discuss episodes with guests like creators and comedians. Episodes air weekly on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds right after the new TV series.
Pop Top 10 returns with Scott Mills and Rylan Clark debating music and pop culture themes, starting with a Eurovision special on April 29. It will be available on BBC Sounds, iPlayer and Radio 2's YouTube channel, with bonus episodes on Sounds.
Dedicated YouTube channels launch for Uncanny, featuring Uncanny Cold Cases with Danny Robins, Evelyn Hollow and Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe investigating historical hauntings like Borley Rectory and the Black Monk of Pontefract, from April 7. Fame Under Fire with Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty will unpack celebrity and news stories with experts on its new channel.
Jonathan Kanagasooriam, Managing Editor for Podcast Strategy and Video Podcasts at BBC Sounds, stated: “Video podcasts mean audio can drive impact across the BBC, in a must watch and listen slate.” Beatrice Cooke, Service Executive for BBC iPlayer, added: “BBC iPlayer is the natural home for our biggest TV brands, and video podcasts let us take audiences even deeper into those worlds.”
This slate aims to innovate and reach new listeners through audio-visual formats.
