BBC Worldwide hits record profits of £140m

BBC Worldwide has made record profits of around £140 million this year due to the global success of shows such as Doctor Who.

The popular British production continues to boost the BBC’s commercial operation, having been sold to more than 50 overseas territories, with 3.3 million DVDs and 7 million Doctor Who toys sold in 2009 alone.

The sales of formats including The Office, Top Gear and Strictly Come Dancing have also contributed to BBC Worldwide’s success this year.

The History Channel in the US is currently producing an American version of Top Gear, while versions of The Weakest Link are being shown in 60 countries, and the Strictly Come Dancing format (also called Dancing with the Stars) is being sold to 30 countries.

Mark Thompson, the BBC’s director general, revealed the financial results for 2009/10 in a speech at Chatham House, ahead of the BBC’s official annual report in July.

The £140 million profit is said to be an “indicative” figure, which would be a substantial improvement on last year’s £103 million profit.

The corporation’s commercial operation also owns BBC Magazines, which includes titles such as Radio Times (which sells 1 million copies a week), TV channels such as BBC America, and produces shows for local markets, including the US hit Dancing with the Stars.

Earlier this month, BBC Worldwide announced plans to produce more projects in-house instead of selling formats to American studios.