BBC Studios Digital Brands has signed a deal to manage YouTube ad sales and brand partnerships for Acamar Films’ flagship preschool IP Bing (pictured). 

This marks the division’s first time managing a brand that didn’t originate at the Beeb, and it wants to do more of this business in the future, says SVP of digital Jasmine Dawson. 

“As the digital landscape continues to evolve, we see a growing opportunity to apply our expertise in content monetization, audience engagement and brand safety to support other premium IPs,” Dawson tells Kidscreen. “Our goal is to build a portfolio of trusted, high-quality brands that resonate with global audiences, whether they originate from within BBC Studios or beyond.” 

As Bing’s global commercial agent, BBC Studios Digital Brands will focus on building new revenue streams for the preschool series on YouTube. The division, which also commissions digital-first content, routinely sets up advertising, sponsorship and influencer deals for a portfolio of in-house brands and channels that it says currently reaches more than 350 million people in 20-plus countries. 

Bing premiered on CBeebies in 2014 and has generated more than a billion views on iPlayer, says Dawson. It also has an equally strong presence on YouTube, with 65 channels operating in 31 languages that have racked up a total of 9.7 billion views to date. 

Managing a property with this sort of reach builds up BBC Studios’ strength as a partner for advertisers looking to reach families, Dawson says. “Collaborations like this allow us to deliver even greater value to advertisers, while ensuring families have access to enriching, age-appropriate content in safe digital environments.”