Top Gear revs up in China

Top Gear has a new home in China after BBC Worldwide struck a deal for 360 hours of the motoring programme with Shanghai Media Group’s BesTV service.The deal, secured by Shanghai Media Group subsidiary Shanghai Oriental Pearl, will see the episodes launch exclusively on BesTV IPTV platforms in China with over 26 million subscribers.By early next year, Top Gear fans in China will have access to the soon-to-be-launched all-new series 24, the entire series of Top Gear UK and all the UK specials, as well as five series of Top Gear USA, six series of Top Gear Korea and both series of Top Gear China.“This new Top Gear partnership allows us to reach more our fans in China with distinctive, quality programmes that Chinese audiences demand and appreciate,” said Paul Dempsey, president global markets of BBC Worldwide.