The BBC confirmed on October 20, 2026 that it will shut down BBC Three as a linear television channel for the second time in a decade, with the network going off air in spring 2027 as part of a £500 million ($666M) cost-cutting plan.
The British broadcaster also confirmed that BBC Scotland and Radio 4 Extra will close as linear networks in spring 2027, according to Deadline, which first reported that BBC Three was in serious jeopardy last month. The corporation had originally planned to announce the closures in late September but delayed the confirmation while it managed the timing of cuts announcements across the organization.
What is closing and when
BBC Three, the youth-focused network that launched series including Fleabag and Gavin and Stacey, will remain a brand on the BBC's iPlayer streaming platform. BBC Scotland will also be retained on iPlayer, and the BBC has committed to increasing investment in content for younger audiences.
The channel currently carries shows such as RuPaul's Drag Race UK, which the BBC recently canceled, along with comedies including Things You Should Have Done and Smoggie Queens. BBC Three falls under the remit of chief content officer Kate Phillips. Fiona Campbell served as the network's controller until earlier this year, when she was promoted to director of factual content.
The same day, the BBC announced 100 layoffs in its news division over the coming months, a move expected to save £5.5M.
A channel the BBC could not make up its mind about
This is the second time in ten years that BBC Three has been pulled from broadcast television. The channel was moved online in 2016, a shift that was, by the BBC's own admission at the time, ahead of its time. The network thrived in that format, producing Fleabag and This Country during what many considered a creative purple patch.
Then former director general Tim Davie reversed course and restored the channel to linear television in 2022, a U-turn that bemused many industry observers. Now his successor is undoing the undoing, and the licence fee payer is left to absorb the cost of a decade of institutional wavering.
In a memo to staff setting out the changes, BBC director general Matt Brittin said: