BBC One daytime series Bargain Hunt has been announced as the next title to be put out to competitive tender.
An invitation to tender – all part of the Charter and Agreement requirement to open up more of the BBC’s TV programmes to competition – will be issued to producers in March.
Bargain Hunt follows A Question of Sport, Holby City and Songs of Praise in being opened up to tender.
The first two were retained by BBC Studios while Songs of Praise was awarded to independent producers Avanti and Manchester-based Nine Lives.
Horizon was also opened up to a competitive pitch process, with independent producers Windfall Films and Wingspan Productions joining BBC Studios to produce bundles of films for the BBC’s flagship science strand, as well as a number of single films placed into development with a range of independent producers.
Daytime drama series, Doctors, was the fifth BBC title to be opened up to competition last September and was awarded to BBC Studios last week.
The BBC will retain all Intellectual Property rights for Bargain Hunt, which will continue to be shown on BBC One, but the tendering process will decide which supplier makes the series.
Richard Dawkins, chief operating officer, BBC Content, said: “Bargain Hunt is a mainstay of the BBC One daytime schedule and with its continued popularity we are pleased to be committing to the series for the next few years.
“In putting this title out to tender, we are continuing to make good progress towards our commitment to open up the production of more of the BBC’s existing programming to competition.”
