BBC First drama channel to launch in Netherlands on KPN

The BBC is launching its new drama channel, BBC First, in the Netherlands on May 16. The country is is the first continental European market where the channel will hit television screens.  BBC First offers drama from the BBC and other British producers. The broadcasts are not interrupted by commercials. “All BBC channels are high quality, and this new channel brand brings together premium series and crime dramas with Dutch subtitles that make it easier to watch,” Jaap Postma, Director Consumer-market at KPN, commented on the launch. “The channel will be free to watch at channel 23 for everybody that has Interactieve TV from KPN.” “The Netherlands is an important territory for us and I am delighted that BBC First will make its European debut in this sophisticated market,” Paul Dempsey, President for Global Markets at BBC Worldwide said. BBC also plans further expansion throughout the Benelux region. BBC First will join BBC Worldwide’s pan-regional channel BBC Entertainment Europe and the rest of the BBC Public Service Channels currently broadcasted by operators in the Netherlands. The channel brand made its debut in Australia in 2014.