The BBC is to launch a video game starring Gary Lineker in a bid to appeal to younger viewers.
The company plans to launch games on the online platform Roblox featuring some of its biggest shows, including Match of the Day, Doctor Who and EastEnders.
TV stars such as Gary Lineker, Louis Theroux, Zara McDermott and Ncuti Gatwa, who plays the 15th Doctor, will appear in the online world.
It is the BBC's latest effort to reach younger viewers amid concerns that they are increasingly being lost to streaming rivals such as Netflix and social media apps such as TikTok.
The crisis has taken on added urgency amid questions over the future of the license fee funding model, which is currently under review.
Dubbed BBC Wonder Chase, the game promotes the BBC brand to 71 million daily Roblox users, the majority of whom are children and teenagers.
The California-based immersive gaming platform boomed during the coronavirus lockdown, allowing users to program and play games created by themselves or others.
Players can complete mini-games, collect iPlayer-branded coins, learn facts about nature, and take on obstacle courses. You can also catch up with friends and watch clips from his BBC shows in a specially designed cinema area.
Patricia Hildalgo, director of children and education at the BBC, said:
“We know Roblox is hugely popular with children and we’re giving them the chance to interact and play with their favorite CBBC shows and characters, as well as discover more from across the BBC. doing.”
Built by Bristol-based developer Mobile Pie, the game highlights how traditional broadcasters are looking to leverage their existing intellectual property in a new immersive digital world.
