Sam Tewungwa has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the BBC’s UK portfolio of advert and subscription funded channels.
Currently Managing Director of the business, which operates under the UKTV brand, Tewungwa will take on responsibility for its overall strategic direction and performance.
Despite carrying no on-screen BBC branding, the highly profitable channels are fully owned by the broadcaster and offer a mix of original commissions across all genres, bought in shows plus back catalogue titles from the BBC’s archive.
The BBC has recently started debuting new shows on the channels before airing them on its Licence Fee funded outlets and has also moved some much-loved favourites from BBC branded channels to its commercial ones.
Most of the channels are available via Freeview with their content also available via the BBC’s U streaming service, though two are available exclusively to Sky and Virgin Media subscribers.
The channels sit within BBC Studios, the BBC’s commercial arm which has annual sales in excess of £2bn and operates a growing number of channels and streaming services around the world in addition to owning major production firms and distributing both BBC and third-party shows and formats.
Tewungwa joined BBC Studios in 2013 as Commercial Director for TV Sales and later played “an integral role” in the BBC’s takeover of the UKTV business following the exit of Discovery as a shareholder.
He’s also served on the UKTV Board as Chief Commercial Officer before being was appointed Managing Director in 2023.
Marcus Arthur, CEO, BBC Studios – Global Channels & Streaming, said: “Sam has a deep understanding of UKTV’s business. His commercial instinct, strategic clarity and ability to bring teams together consistently drive results.
“He anticipates both challenges and opportunities and has a clear view of where we are strong, where we are evolving and where we need to push harder. This is absolutely the right leadership decision for the next phase of UKTV’s growth.”
Sam Tewungwa said: “I’m honoured to be taking on the role of UKTV’s next CEO.
“While there are clear challenges across the market, I am optimistic about the future of our industry and the role UKTV can play within it. We have an exceptional team, much-loved brands, and a culture that is the envy of many across the sector.
“As part of the BBC Group, we benefit from real scale, ambition and opportunity. I’m confident UKTV will continue to flourish and grow, and I’m excited about what we will achieve together.”