The BBC has agreed to supply “almost 360 hours of Top Gear” to the Shanghai Media Group which will stream the show on its IPTV platforms.
The deal includes the Chris Evans car crash of a season – presumably thrown in for free – which received a well deserved mauling from critics and viewers who walked away in their droves due to Evans’s unfunny, one-note shouting act which BBC bosses mistook for talent, plus the upcoming Matt Le Blanc-led, Evans-free series 24, five series of Top Gear USA, six series of Top Gear Korea and both series of Top Gear China.
Despite the BBC dropping him from the show, the deal also includes the entire run of Jeremy Clarkson’s Top Gear, including its specials.
“This new Top Gear partnership allows us to reach more of our fans in China with distinctive, quality programmes that Chinese audiences demand and appreciate.” commented Paul Dempsey, President Global Markets, BBC Worldwide in a statement.