The Impact of the BBC - Science and Nature
The home of world class natural history programming
The BBC is the home of the very best science and nature programming. We are committed to bringing audiences an unrivalled breadth and range of distinctive, high-quality scientific content and reporting, available across radio, TV and online – local, national and international.
And in the context of our mission ‘to inform, educate and entertain’, nothing does all three better. Importantly, in these polarised times awash with misinformation, we know we have a responsibility to tell the big stories that help us make sense of our world and beyond – from climate change to the AI and technology revolution we’re all living through.
All of this is only made possible because of the support we receive from our partners across the UK, as well as our unique funding model which enables us to support specialisms in a way that no other broadcaster or streamer does.
Supporting the UK’s status as a global science powerhouse
35 million - how many people BBC Science TV reached in 2024 – 54% of the UK population – and many millions more via our audio and online content
83% - the percentage of science TV content on UK PSBs that would disappear if the BBC ceased to exist
169 million - the number of hours viewers spent watching science content on the BBC in 2024, compared to only 15m on the streamers.
270 - Over 270 hours of original science content across 2025/26 on BBC Radio 4 alone
No. 1 - BBC News is the most popular platform for those who use websites and apps to access science content
20 million - the number of unique visitors across all of BBC Bitesize Science content
The home of world class natural history programming
370 million
The number of viewer hours for natural history content on the BBC in the last year – around 60% of total viewing for the genre
55%
Last year over half the population came to our natural history content like Asia, Mammals, and Walking with Dinosaurs – and recently, Kingdom and Wild London
75%
Bristol is the home of our globally renowned Natural History Unit; 75% of BBC Public Service commissions between 2019-22 attracted inward investment to the region; and for every £1 invested by BBC Public Service, £1.86 was invested by a third party
No. 1
We are the first choice, on any platform, for media that provides reliable and relatable content on environmental topics in the UK – 33 points ahead of alternative sources
Growing our impact through ambitious partnerships
We partnered with at least 20 organisations last year with a science focus - either in content, education or research
Last year we worked in partnership with around 15 organisations focused on nature and the environment – coming together to support insight and understanding, whilst harnessing the power of nature to help build broader trust and social cohesion
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