MoD extends BFBS contract

Above: Armed Forces personnel watching BFBS in Cyprus.
Courtesy MoD

Members of the Armed Forces will soon have expanded access to media and entertainment, from top-flight sports like football and rugby to podcasts, gaming and the latest Defence news.  

Media organisation and military charity BFBS plays a vital role in improving the experience and morale for service personnel and families wherever they are based, sustaining morale, fostering community, and alleviating isolation on deployment.  

This agreement is backed by the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War, hitting 2.6% of GDP from April 2027.  BFBS will develop new ways to connect with our service personnel, adapting their offer and technology, ensuring secure access in the most remote environments and investing in new entertainment platforms including gaming, catering to the tastes of all our personnel.  

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, said: "BFBS are at the heart of service life, providing our personnel with access to secure, trusted entertainment, ranging from live football matches to the latest movie releases, and keeping our people engaged in Forces life from gaming to developing news. 

"This 10-year contract renewal demonstrates our long-term commitment to our people – and will ensure they have media access relevant to their needs, devices and interests, wherever they serve. Our message to our Armed Forces community is clear: this government is on your side."

The contract builds on more than eight decades of BFBS’s dedication to connecting and entertaining the UK Armed Forces, bringing continued value for money. As a registered charity, BFBS is uniquely positioned to secure content partnerships that would not typically be achievable through commercial procurement. For example, their premium overseas television lineup — including movies, series and major live sport bring our personnel a huge morale boost and a vital connection to home life.  

Ben Chapman, BFBS CEO said: "We are very excited to announce this new contract with the MOD, and to fulfil our mission of uniting the UK Armed Forces and their families with trusted, creative media experiences for the next decade.   

"We are living in complex geopolitical times, with Defence at the top of the global agenda, and never has the media landscape been more disrupted. BFBS plays a vital role in supporting the operational readiness and welfare of our military wherever they are serving, and we help to maintain a healthy democracy by ensuring that all those who serve our country have access to trusted, relevant, and secure media.”  

The commitment to extend this service is part of Government’s wider efforts to strengthen the Offer for our Armed Forces personnel, including landmark action to buy back and renew nearly 40,000 military family homes, a new childcare scheme saving eligible forces families in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland up to £6,000 per year per child by reimbursing early years childcare costs, and the establishment of a new, independently-appointed Armed Forces Commissioner with the power to investigate issues raised directly by personnel and their families. 

BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) is a military charity and media organisation that entertains, informs, connects and champions the UK Armed Forces.