Following the first test transmissions, the BBC confirms BBC Three will relaunch on the 1st February 2022. Live football will feature on three of the first seven nights on air.
BBC Three will be available from just before 7pm each night through to the early hours, on Freeview, Sky, Virgin and Freesat. But channel numbers are yet to be confirmed. A live stream will be available on the iPlayer.
During launch week, BBC Three will host live football with coverage of both semi-finals and the final of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON). The semi-finals take place on 2nd and 3rd February 2022. The final is live on 6th February.
Pre-match build up will be shown from 6:30pm on match nights on the BBC Three iPlayer page. Then, from 6:58pm, when the BBC Three linear channel goes live, viewers will be able to watch the full match (kick-off 7pm) via traditional TV platforms.
The relaunch comes six years after the channel was originally shifted online. Once again, the relaunched BBC Three will be a multi-genre offering. Audiences can expect a rich content mix of drama, comedy, entertainment, documentaries, news and sport. On launch night itself, RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK Versus will air on launch night.
Last night, test transmissions for the channel launched on digital satellite and terrestrial TV platforms with a preview loop of some of the channel’s highlights. The service will be added to channel lists later this month.