London, January 7, 2026 – For American audiences seeking premium documentaries and unparalleled global news, the BBC App is officially moving behind a paywall.

BBC Studios, the commercial arm of BBC Commercial Ltd, announced the expansion of its U.S. pay model to the BBC App, offering subscribers a seamless way to access over 1,600 hours of content.

This is a strategic pivot to monetize BBC’s vast content library in the U.S., but at what cost to its perceived universal accessibility?

Starting January 7, 2026 U.S. subscribers can tap into a treasure trove of documentaries, global news, and premium features, available across both BBC.com and the BBC App.

The price point is set at less than $1 a week, or $49.99 annually, with a monthly option of $8.99. This package includes full-length news articles, feature stories, and a 24/7 livestream of the acclaimed BBC News channel.

Planned future benefits include early-release podcasts, exclusive newsletters, and even more premium content. For serious news junkies and documentary aficionados, does this offer a compelling value proposition?

The move, however, doesn’t impact users in the UK or other countries outside the U.S. For those in America who choose not to subscribe, access to some content will remain free, including select global breaking news stories, BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service radio livestreams, BBC World Service Languages sites, and various free newsletters and podcasts.

British Licence Fee payers traveling to the U.S. can still access their usual BBC content via the BBC News app, provided they’ve downloaded the latest UK versions before their trip. This intricate tiered access highlights the complexities of global content rights and regional monetization strategies.

This expansion builds on the success of the U.S. pay model that launched on BBC.com in June 2025. The platform has seen impressive audience growth, with double-digit gains (up 12% in North America and 13% globally) over the past 12 months. September proved to be a record-breaking month in the U.S., attracting 77 million visitors and achieving its highest-ever Comscore ranking at #13.

This momentum clearly provided the impetus for extending the subscription model to the app.

Further cementing its digital strategy, BBC.com also recently launched a dedicated Health vertical at bbc.com/health. This new global destination aims to deliver trusted health journalism, helping audiences lead healthier, happier lives. Health coverage has been a major driver of engagement, with the average monthly audience for health features in North America up a significant 40% year-over-year. The section showcases the BBC’s distinctive approach to health and wellness reporting, from medical breakthroughs to practical guidance, and serves as the home for popular offerings like the award-winning Health Fix newsletter.

BBC Studios generated revenues of £2.1 billion last year and profits over £200 million for a fourth consecutive year, is the main commercial arm of BBC Commercial Ltd. Its mission is to seamlessly take ideas from thought to screen and beyond, producing, investing, and distributing TV and audio globally, alongside managing BBC branded channels and services like UKTV, BBC.com, and BritBox International.

This expansion of the pay model to the BBC App in the U.S. is a clear commercial imperative, aiming to capture more revenue from a highly engaged audience.

The challenge, as always, will be balancing this commercial drive with the BBC’s historic mission of universal access to trusted information. Is this the right balance for the digital age?