London – BBC Worldwide announced the launch of BBC First in Belgium on 4 June. Following on from the successful launch of the channel in The Netherlands on 16 May, Belgium is the second country in Europe to receive BBC First, a fully localised channel which is the brand new home of the very best of British scripted content. With all programming subtitled in Flemish, BBC First makes its Belgium debut on cable provider Telenet, with further platforms to follow throughout the Benelux region.

A bespoke channel for Benelux, BBC First offers premium and uninterrupted drama from the BBC and other leading British producers. From 9am on 4 June, Belgium will join the Netherlands on this unmissable new channel with series including the hugely popular and critically acclaimed series Wolf Hall – BBC Two’s highest rating programme for 13 years – and thrilling adventures including The Musketeers Series 2 as well as the very latest series of regional favourites, Silent Witness Series 18 and Last Tango in Halifax.

Gabriele Galassi, BBC Worldwide’s Head of Benelux, Global Markets said, “We know that audiences in Belgium love our content and we can now give them more of what they want with BBC First featuring localised first runs of the best of British Drama.”

“At Telenet, we are very pleased to welcome the splendid BBC First drama to our Play More offer. It fits perfectly within our aim to bring the best premium experiences to our customers”, added John Porter, CEO Telenet.

BBC First will join BBC Worldwide’s pan-regional channel BBC Entertainment Europe and the rest of the UK BBC Public Service Channels currently carried by operators in Belgium. The channel brand made its debut in Australia in 2014 and was the most successful non-sports launch on Foxtel since 2006.