BBC Three moves to online-only

Following a shift in viewer trends, television channel BBC Three has opted to become an online-only viewing platform.

The move to online was first proposed in 2014 and was approved by the BBC Trust last November. The Trust said there was "clear public value in moving BBC Three online, as independent evidence shows younger audiences are watching more online and watching less linear TV".

Programmes and other content, such as animations and short films, will now be available via the channel's website and the BBC iPlayer. The network has already posted a video from its YouTube account welcoming viewers to the new platforms.

BBC director general Tony Hall has said the move will save the corporation £30 million.

Monday evening (February 15th) was its last night as a linear TV channel, and saw BBC Three broadcasting episodes of some of its most popular programmes. 

This move aligns the service more closely with new players in the market such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, where the entire series of a programme is available to watch.

However, unlike those services, the new programmes that have so far been announced for BBC Three will be made available one episode at a time.