It agreed the deal with BBC.com, the commercial venture set up to exploit the site’s popularity outside of its home market. According to comScore, it attracts 28m non-UK users. The site distinguishes between UK and non-UK visitors by their IP addressES.
The UK website does not carry advertising, as it is part of the service provided under the licence fee, a tax set up to fund the broadcaster. Despite opposition from the private sector, the BBC is keen to expand revenues outside the UK through commercial means. The deal was brokered by MindShare Interaction.