A new report forecasts that the BBC’s commitment to the West Midlands will bring an additional £282m in gross value added (GVA) to the region in the decade to 2031, an increase of 44% on what otherwise would have been the case.

The independent study done by BOP Consulting in partnership with City-REDI says that the growth is driven by the BBC’s decision to invest more in the West Midlands creatively.

Over recent months, BBC primetime TV shows Silent Witness and MasterChef have gone into pre-production from new bases in Digbeth. BBC Radio 1Xtra has relocated shows and BBC Asian Network has begun consolidating the network entirely in the city by April 2025. Three shows for the new BBC Radio 1 Anthems stream on BBC Sounds will also be made in Birmingham.

With the final episode of daytime drama Doctors airing this week, The BBC has committed to reinvest all of the funding into new programming in the region and support the retention and development of scripted skills. BBC Studios Drama Productions (Silent Witness, Shakespeare and Hathaway, Father Brown and Sister Boniface) is setting up a regional hub and post-production facility in Digbeth.

The BBC is to move the BBC Midlands HQ to a new broadcast centre at The Tea Factory in Digbeth. Digbeth is already home to 500 creative organisations.

The BBC’s commitments to the region is estimated to generate 910 additional full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs supported by the broadcaster in the region – a 94% increase on the baseline.

The report argues that as the additional BBC investment strengthens the West Midlands creative cluster, this could drive the creation of an additional 224 firms helping to support a further 7,603 FTE jobs in the region. By 2031 this could lead to 18% more creative sector jobs in the West Midlands, and by 2040, employment opportunities in the creative sector have the potential to double.

Birmingham is now the second largest UK hub for Banijay Group with Shine and Kudos Knight setting up regional bases after receiving BBC commissions. Other suppliers like Spun Gold and Full Fat TV are also located in Digbeth. Spun Gold have produced Policing Paradise and are now making series 11 of Garden Rescue for the BBC from their base in Digbeth.

The BBC has also announced Commissioning Executive, Mark Harrison, will have a permanent role based in the Midlands. He will lead on commissioning for Events and Current Affairs, Midlands and the North.

Tim Davie, BBC Director-General said: “This report highlights the scale of the opportunity for both the BBC and the region in the years ahead. We believe in making world-class content from Digbeth; putting the people and the place at the epicentre of the creative industries while reflecting their stories. We will continue to work closely with our partners and the authorities across the sector to keep pace with our ambition to unlock the full potential of the West Midlands.”