MUMBAI: BBC Global Channels – one of six BBC Worldwide businesses – has chosen Poland as the first European territory to launch its new suite of BBC-branded thematic channels. Its partner is Polish satellite platform Cyfrowy Polsat.

Poland was identified by the business as a priority market for channel expansion and, teaming up with Cyfrowy Polsat, represents the first time that all four new channels – BBC Entertainment, BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies – have rolled out in one market at the same time.

The channels will debut in Poland on 2 December and will be available on satellite exclusively for subscribers of Cyfrowy Polsat as part of the platform's Family package.

BBC Global Channels senior VP Europe, Miiddle East and Africa Dean Possenniskie says, "I am delighted with the long term carriage agreement we now have in place with Poland's most successful DTH platform, Cyfrowy Polsat. With this partnership in place I'm very confident we will quickly demonstrate the positive impact our channels can make in a highly competitive market through strong localised brands and programming of the highest quality across all four channel genres."