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BBC Tariff Prices for Independents
These tariffs have been issued in line with the above BBC Code of Practice on BBC's Dealings with Independent Producers for Television Programmes Commissioned by the BBC (paragraphs 5 & 6).

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Code of Practice for BBC's dealings with the Independent Sector (1 Mb)

BBC Tariff Prices for Independents (190 Kb)

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Drama Genre Tariffs for Independents

These tariff ranges include the following:

The underlying clearance costs for initial use i.e. normally one transmission on BBC ONE or BBC TWO or the appropriate package of transmissions on the digital channels. Contributions to programmes should be cleared in accordance with the BBC Standard Production Agreement (General Term 6). If programmes are co-commissioned between channels, additional clearance costs will be covered as required, in addition to the declared tariff.

All direct costs that are from time to time agreed and incurred by the BBC, eg insurance, will be recharged to the production and included in the tariff.

Daytime and Low Cost Drama
Indicative Tariff Range: £50k - £500k per hour
Within this range, programmes tend to fall into the following categories:
Category
Specification
Drama 1
Up to £375k
per hour
This category covers a range of low cost output primarily for Daytime together with long running series for BBC ONE; BBC TWO and BBC THREE.
Producers will use innovative techniques and clever ideas to maximise the funds available especially for BBC FOUR. New talent will launch and grow here
Drama 2
£375k - £500k
per hour
Series at 30’ and 60’ which might not benefit from length of run on BBC THREE; singles and cross genre collaborations will fall into this category as will longer running and late night series for BBC ONE and BBC TWO
Lower to Mid cost Drama
Indicative Tariff Range: £500k - £700k
Within this range, programmes tend to fall into the following categories:
Category
Specification
Drama 3
£500k - £630k
per hour
Likely to be contemporary and less contained in setting both series and serials will have high production values with known and emerging talent. Low cost period series remain an ambition for this Category
Drama 4
£630k - £700k
per hour
The backbone of drama commissioning, this category takes up the majority of the slate with a mix of serials and returnable series. There may be more locations evident or higher cast aspirations; in period or contemporary settings.
High cost Drama
Indicative Tariff Range: £700k - £900k
Within this range, programmes tend to fall into the following categories:
Category
Specification
Drama 5
£700k - £790k
per hour
High levels of cast; stunts; foreign locations and period settings all drive this category. Cast will be large and talent established
Drama 6
£800k - £900k
per hour
Heavy combination of multi-location; period; high cast and short runs in serials and event singles. CGI and effects may be significant here.
Premium Drama

Category
Specification
Drama 7
£900k+
per hour
The few pieces in this category will be exceptional and will be Bank Holiday Events; Specials or Landmark commissions.

Nations & Regions Drama
Indicative Tariff Range: £30k - £450k per hour
The indicative tariff range applies to all Nations’ drama and includes short film development schemes.

Entertainment Genre Tariffs for Independents

These tariff ranges include the following:

The underlying clearance costs for initial use i.e. normally 1 transmission on BBC ONE or BBC TWO or the appropriate package of transmissions on the digital channels. Contributions to programmes should be cleared in accordance with the BBC Standard Production Agreement (General Term 6). If programmes are co-commissioned between channels, additional clearance costs will be covered up front as required, in addition to the declared tariff.

All direct costs that are from time to time agreed and incurred by the BBC, eg insurance, will be recharged to the production and included in the tariff.

Scripted Comedy
Indicative tariff ranges:
Network £110k to £600k per hour, Nations & Regions £50k to £500k per hour
The indicative tariff range covers a wide variety of programming, from shorts to animation and single camera location based comedies. Within this range, programmes tend to fall into the following categories:
Category
Tariff (per hour)
Specification
Comedy 1
Network
£110k - £340k
Editorially covers a broad range of comedy including shorts, “spoof” factual and entertainment programmes, monologues, panel shows and more familiar formats such as sketch shows and sitcoms that involve new talent and smaller scale production values.
Nations & Regions
£50k - £150k
Comedy 2
Network
£340k - £500k
Most comedy would fall into this bracket. Sitcoms, sketch shows, panel shows with significant talent and writing costs and small scale location based comedy. The key differences between the higher and lower ends would be talent costs and /or the volume and type of location shooting.
Nations & Regions
£150k - £300k
Comedy 3
Network
£500k - £600k
Titles in this category would normally have exceptional talent costs, or be single camera, location based pieces or have a period setting. For obvious reasons, the vast majority of comedies in this category are found in the BBC ONE peak schedule.
Nations & Regions
£300k - £500k
Entertainment
Indicative tariff ranges:
Network £20k to £285k per hour, Nations & Regions £20k to £220k per hour
The indicative tariff range covers a huge range of programme production processes from daytime quizzes through to documentary and big studio entertainment. Programmes will tend to fall into the following categories:

Category
Tariff (per hour)
Specification
Ent 1
Network
£20k - £30k
To date, daytime quizzes make up the bulk of this category, along with some studio based programming e.g. phone ins on our digital channels.
Nations & Regions
£20k - £30k
Ent 2
Network
£30k - £115k
A wide range from quizzes through to other game formats. Key factors in determining price are cost/complexity of the set and studio and the number of programmes that can be shot per day/week. Volume is key to these first two categories.
Nations & Regions
£30k - £60k
Ent 3
Network
£115k - £200k
Most documentary based programmes, factual entertainment, chat shows and clip based programmes fall into this category. Key price drivers can be talent cost and archive clearances.
Nations & Regions
£60k - £150k
Ent 4
Network
£200k - £285k
The high end of the entertainment spectrum. Examples include traditional Saturday night entertainment shows on BBC ONE (normally with high studio or location costs and occasionally format fees), specials and panel shows. Within the range, a key driver of individual programme cost is often duration, with 30 minute programmes receiving a marginally higher tariff to reflect the non-duration dependent costs. We would expect longer duration programmes to therefore have a lower price per hour within the bracket.
Nations & Regions
£150k - £220k
Other
There will be a few exceptional programmes which defy categorisation in any one year and which will fall outside of is range, mostly one off specials or large cross channel projects where price per hour can fluctuate widely depending on the final tally of transmitted hours. Examples include: some Xmas specials, Fame Academy.

Factual Genre Tariffs for Independents

These tariff ranges include the following:

for Factual commissions (excluding Performance and Artists' Engagements), the tariff will normally be expected to include a buy out of all underlying rights for all BBC uses wherever possible, in accordance with the BBC's Standard Production Agreement (General Term 6).

for Performance commissions, the clearances expected within the tariff will be specified on an individual commission basis.

All direct costs that are from time to time agreed and incurred by the BBC, eg insurance, will be recharged to the production and included in the tariff.

Factual & Lifestyle
Indicative tariff ranges: Network £40k - £300k per hour, Nations & Regions £5k to £200k per hour
The indicative tariff range covers a range of programme production across all factual subject areas. Documentary, Contemporary Factual, Specialist Factual, Religion, Arts, History, Science, Nature, Current Affairs, Leisure and Features are all to be found here. Includes both low and high volume series and one-offs of various durations, factors which may in part determine whether programmes attract a higher or lower tariff in the band. Within this range, programmes tend to fall into the following categories:

Category
Tariff (per hour)
Specification
FL 1
Network
£40k - £80k
Documentaries using a high proportion of contemporary, historical or performance archive footage may be found in this category. Complex compilations or updates/revisits of stories covered in earlier documentaries or leisure programmes.
Nations & Regions
£5k - £60k
Compilations or updates/revisits of stories covered in earlier documentaries or leisure programmes. Almost all factual output in the English Regions falls into this price band, costs being kept to a minimum by employing low cost filming techniques and/or by the nature of the subject matter / location.
FL 2
Network
£40k - £100k
Early evening leisure or popular factual. Observational docs with a lighter early evening feel. May include some higher volume pieces.
Nations & Regions
£20k - £60k
FL 3
Network
£40k - £120k
Leisure or observational documentary. May be straight forward talent led cookery series or other type, or later evening BBC ONE/BBC TWO observational character-led documentaries. May employ lower cost filming techniques e.g. DV-DV Cam.
Nations & Regions
£20k - £80k
FL 4
Network
£40k - £150k
Contemporary factual with high profile talent and strong formats. Some later evening documentaries with multiple locations. Some Factual Entertainment series. Lower cost BBC ONE/BBC TWO single subject documentary series or one offs. BBC THREE/BBC FOUR documentary series and one offs, including celebrity access docs.
Nations & Regions
£20k - £100k
Contemporary factual with high profile talent and strong formats. Some later evening documentaries with multiple locations. Some Factual Entertainment series. Lower cost single subject documentary series or one offs.
FL 5
Network
£40k - £200k
Documentary (9pm series and one-off docs) predominantly BBC ONE and BBC TWO. High on-screen value, strong storytelling/narrative on subjects with real impact. May be domestic or foreign, sometimes with extended production schedules and in some cases may cover formats with complex underlying themes relevant to life today.
Nations & Regions
£20k - £150k
Documentary series and one-offs. High on-screen value, strong storytelling/narrative on subjects with real impact. Sometimes with extended production schedules and in some cases may cover formats with complex underlying themes relevant to life today.
FL 6
Network
£40k - £300k
Landmark documentary. High profile series and one-offs to make a real impact in the schedule. Epic and/or exceptionally high profile stories. Some talent (iconic) led pieces. To include very significant cost drivers e.g. drama reconstruction and/or major C.G.I. elements.
Nations & Regions
£20k - £200k
Landmark Documentary. High profile series and one-offs to make a real impact in the schedule. Epic and/or exceptionally high profile stories.
Performance
Indicative tariff ranges:
Network:£40k - £350k per hour, Nations & Regions £40k - £150k per hour

Category
Tariff (per hour)
Specification
FP
Network
£40k - £350k
Performance e.g. Music, Ballet, Opera, Theatre.
Nations & Regions
£40k - £150k
Daytime & other low cost Factual
Indicative tariff range: £10k - £60k per hour
Within this range, programmes tend to fall into the following categories:
Category
Tariff (per hour)
Specification
FD1
Network
£10k - £40k
Most Daytime commissions fall in to this category. Programmes include: low cost, high volume studio shows, compilation programmes mixing originated footage and archive, a wide variety of both low and high volume series, some of which can sustain longevity in the schedule. Interview and review shows can also be found here.
FD2
Network
£40k - £60k
Non-returning, low volume, Daytime 'events' with significant cost elements may fall in this category. Also lower cost documentaries often for late night or for BBC THREE or BBC FOUR.
Note: There may also be a small number of programmes which defy categorisation in any one year and which fall outside of the above, eg large cross channel projects.

Childrens Genre Tariffs for Independents

These tariff ranges include the following:

The underlying clearance costs for normally three transmissions on BBC ONE or BBC TWO and the appropriate package of transmissions on the digital channels. Contributions to programmes should be cleared in accordance with the BBC Standard Production Agreement (General Term 6).

All direct costs that are from time to time agreed and incurred by the BBC eg insurance will be recharged to the production and included in the tariff.

Category
Specification
CBeebies
£40k - £90k
per hour
Traditionally studio based programming built around a distinct and recognisable reoccurring format - may include animation segments. Examples of this type of programme include Big Cook Little Cook and Me Too!
Factual - Non-Studio / Factual Entertainment
£100k - £135k
per hour
Observational documentary using lower cost filming techniques eg DV-DV Cam. Price dependent on subject and location. Also documentary based, entertainment programmes.
Examples of this type of programme are: The Agents, The Stables
Factual - Studio
£75k - £120k
per hour
Studio-based programming based on a strong, entertaining format, usually presenter led.
An examples of this type of programme is: Eureka
CBBC Drama commissions programming that covers the entire range of the genre from long-running serials eg Grange Hill to short run series eg The Queens Nose and Cave Girl . Almost all titles depend on significant third party investment.
Drama - Long Running Series
£250k - £450k per hour
Large volume more > 15 episodes, often returning, using innovative ideas and techniques to maximise the available funds
Drama -Serials
£350k - £550k per hour
On average 10 episodes or less, higher production and talent values.
Comedy
£95k - £195k
per hour
Studio-based, talent led shows, likely to be long running and require 3rd party investment.
An example of this type of programme is: Basil Brush
Game shows - Studio
£60k - £160k
per hour
Studio-based game formats. Key factors in determining price are cost/complexity of the set and studio and the number of programmes that can be shot per day/week.
An example of this type of programme is: Get Your Own Back
Game shows - Other
£60k - £108k
per hour
Non-studio-based game formats.
An example of this type of programme is: Best of Friends
Other
£ various
per hour
Includes long-running presenter-led magazine shows, animation, special events, Sunday drama and drama specials

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