The BBC’s trading activities: Statement on requirements and guidance

The role of the BBC is to produce high quality and distinctive programmes and services which educate, inform and entertain.

As a large publicly-funded organisation, the BBC inevitably has an impact on competition in the wider media market. It may have a positive effect by stimulating demand or encouraging sector wide innovation, for example. But in fulfilling its objectives, the BBC may also harm the ability of others to compete effectively.

Under the Charter and Agreement, the BBC Public Service is allowed to carry out some specific types of “trading” activity which are ancillary to its core public service activities and are commercial in nature.

On 29 March 2017, we published a consultation on the requirements we proposed to place on the BBC to protect fair and effective competition in how the BBC carries out its trading activities. In this document, we consider our proposed requirements and guidance in the light of the consultation comments and respond to the points raised.

The requirements themselves are set out in The BBC’s commercial and trading activities: Requirements and guidance (PDF, 307.2 KB)