BBC Three moves online tonight – here’s all you need to know

Launching in 2003, BBC Three was marketed to the youth crowd; up and coming young adults. The channel also served as a testing ground for many up and coming writers; becoming home to many TV programmes that would become classics. Now after a prolonged campaign and cost-cutting measures – the channel will be leaving it’s broadcasting home on traditional television and instead become a streaming service over on the BBC’s iPlayer service.

Where can I watch it?

The BBC has created a designated area to catch the channel on, which you can find here.

Why is this happening?

Put simply; money. The BBC has been forced to cut out non-essential services in recent years – dropping everything from F1 to FA Cup coverage. Dropping BBC Three from traditional TV means that the broadcaster will be saving a heap of money not having to pay for TV shows across the board.

So what are the main casualties?

The channel’s budget has been slashed to £30 million which sounds like a lot but in reality is peanuts. It means that the channel will no longer be hosting American imports (Family Guy is heading over to ITV2). It also means that the popular Don’t Tell the Bride has been left out in the cold too (That’s now heading over to Sky1). Everything the BBC wants to save (Like Russell Howard’s Good News) has long been moved out of the sinking ship. Other panel shows haven’t been so lucky – with all of them pretty much canned.

What will the new channel have?

BBC bosses are promising lots of new TV shows that will keep the quality up. Somehow the teasers for the new online format have painted a less than optimistic picture of things to come.