Publishing its annual plan for 2025/ 26 today, the BBC has warned that it will have to make step changes in the future, with real budgets significantly down and its recent approach to making cuts not sufficient to address the challenge.
The plans are set against the context of a BBC budget that is down £1billion a year in real terms, compared to 15 years ago. The total income for 2025/26 is £4.491 bn. Content spend is just above £2.5bn.
The plan says: “We have delivered significant efficiencies, including cutting 2,000 roles over the last five years, but continuing with this approach is no longer sustainable. Despite strong growth from BBC Commercial, we face an unprecedented content funding challenge as global co-productions reduce across the sector.”
There is also a commitment to AI in the plan. “We will also explore how to make the most of AI for audiences and our teams; and help lead the debate on how the responsible use of AI can support human creativity and growth in the creative industries, while protecting the intellectual property of creators.”
Pippa Considine
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