13 Accepted

In May 2022, the BBC announced its intention to move from traditional broadcast radio and...

Conclusion
In May 2022, the BBC announced its intention to move from traditional broadcast radio and TV outputs to online platforms as part of digital-first strategy. The strategy aimed to migrate audiences from closed TV and radio services to BBC websites and social platforms so that reach could be sustained while delivering savings.29 However, since 2021–22, the World Service’s overall digital audience has declined by 11% to 131 million, and TV and radio services have fallen by a fifth in the same period. Total audiences fell by 47 million from 2021–22 to 2022–23 and then by a further 5 million up to 2024–25, indicating that online consumption had not replaced the reach lost from broadcast closures at that point. In 2022–23, the BBC estimated that broadcast closures accounted for around 30 million of the 47 million fall in overall audience.30
Government Response Summary
The BBC agrees with the observation and is implementing new annual and three-year planning cycles, redesigning digital reporting, launching initiatives to improve digital reach (especially among women), and conducting market reviews to strengthen digital performance, with a target implementation by September 2026.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government Accepted
3.1 The BBC agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: September 2026 3.2 New annual and three-year planning cycles are now being put in place for the World Service, with formal annual and quarterly business reviews running globally and in the regions. 3.3 The need for accelerated digital transformation is being consistently communicated to teams - including in the setting and communication of digital targets. The dashboard for digital reporting has been redesigned. The three-year plan has clearly articulated the strategic goals around digital transformation and migration of audiences from traditional TV and radio audiences to digital platforms in all regions. A cross-organisational initiative has been developed to significantly improve the BBC’s reach amongst women on digital platforms. This has shown strong results, with 11 million more women consuming the World Service since the formal launch of the initiative in November 2026. More comprehensive market reviews are being carried out to ensure digital maturity and readiness, ensuring that in markets of greatest need, digital transformation does not come at the cost of being able to reach key audiences. 3.4 Digital platform and format training and expertise sharing are continuing apace. In the latest fiscal period (following the start of the new regional governance structure, and after the period examined by the NAO), digital performance has strengthened substantially. The latest available digital data estimate for financial year 2025-26 shows a significant 36% increase in World Service global digital growth. As per the Global Audience Measure (2025), World Service digital reach (131 million) is greater than that of either TV (103 million) or radio (127 million). The full implementation of the regional governance model, along with the planning cycle and communication improvements, will ensure that digital performance is equally strong in each of the six regions.
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.4 yrs
Report published 13 Mar 2026