Yota Play to launch in Russia with BBC content

Russian ISP Yota has signed a deal with BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the British public broadcaster, for content for its new multiplatform VOD service.

Yota will launch Yota Play in July with 500 hours of content from BBC Worldwide, including Sherlock, Misfits, Little Britain, Top Gear, Life and Planet Earth. It has agreed to acquire a total of 5,000 hours over a three-year period.

Russia’s digital portal IVI has also licensed 200 hours of BBC Worldwide programming for its site, including a three hour stream of the Royal Wedding. These deals follow the arrangement BBC Worldwide struck with Now.ru for 400 hours of programming in April.