BBC Player will initially be available on StarHub’s pay-TV platform in Singapore, and an app will provide wider online and mobile access.

The SVOD service will feature content from BBC Earth, BBC First, BBC Lifestyle, pre-school channel CBeebies and BBC World News, as well as BBC Brit – which will make its Asian debut through BBC Player.

“The BBC has a proud heritage in digital innovation – we led the way with news online, radio online and digital video in the UK. But what really sets us apart is the care we take in curating our world class content for audiences. I’m delighted that audiences in Singapore, one of the most connected countries in the world with the highest smartphone penetration, will be the first to experience this quality for themselves with the inaugural launch of BBC Player,” said Paul Dempsey, president global markets, BBC Worldwide.

Monty Ghai, SVP and GM, South East Asia for BBC Worldwide, added: “With BBC Payer, StarHub TV subscribers will not only be able to access content beyond our linear channels, the service will also offer fans of BBC.com, which has approximately a million unique browsers per month in Singapore, the opportunity to discover even more content across our brands via BBC Player.”

BBC First will provide premium original drama from the BBC and British independent production companies, many within 24 hours of their debut transmission; while BBC Brit has male skewed factual entertainment described by the BBC as ‘intelligent but irreverent’. It will be home to the latest Top Gear, starring Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc, as well as Hoff the Record, David Hasselhoff’s semi-scripted mockumentary comedy series. BBC First, meanwhile, will carry the return of cult dramas Sherlock (series four) and Orphan Black (series four).

In addition to multi-genre content streamed on-demand, BBC Player will allow subscribers to download a selection of BBC programmes to watch offline for up to 30 days.

Howie Lau, chief marketing officer, StarHub, said: “We are delighted that StarHub TV customers will be the first in Asia to enjoy BBC Player. BBC Player not only complements our pay TV offering, it also delivers BBC’s signature content seamlessly across our customers’ devices, deepening the overall entertainment experience. StarHub and BBC Worldwide have achieved many milestones over the last twenty years together and we believe that BBC Player will be a service that takes our partnership into the future.”