BBC Worldwide is reshaping its Asia business, migrating the old BBC Knowledge into a broader entertainment environment and expanding the experience with giant-screen theatrical releases, theme-park attractions and online interactivity.

The new era kicks off at 9pm on 3 October, when BBC Knowledge across most of Asia gives way to BBC Earth. The joint-venture India channel, Sony BBC Earth, will follow when the licensing/regulatory process is complete.

The new 24-hour flagship linear channel is part of a multi-touchpoint brand that includes an online platform as well as on-ground attractions.

BBC Worldwide’s executive vice president for Asia, David Weilland, outlines a much bigger profile in the region for BBC Earth, including more events such as Planet Earth in Concert held in Singapore last year, and expanding BBC’s Orbi attraction in Yokohama to another Japanese city in 2016.

Weilland is also rolling out a theatrical release agenda followingEnchanted Kingdom’s success in Japan, and an expansion of the giant-screen experience in markets beyond China, Korea and Hong Kong. Plans are already in place to bring a giant screen version ofPredatorsto Asia next year.

“Nowadays you want to make sure your brand lives across multiple touch points with the consumer. BBC Earth can do that better than BBC Knowledge,” Weilland says.

The linear channel’s programming remit will be broader than the two-hour BBC Earth block, which has run in Asia on Thursday nights for the past three years. The block focused on natural history programming.

Ryan Shiotani, BBC Worldwide Channels’ programming vice president, says the full channel will include adventure, science and travel, “all with the human factor”.

A significant part of the programming strategy for BBC Earth going forward is saving the best natural history titles for its own air. Previously, first-run rights to some of the big blue-chip might have gone to free-to-air.

“BBC Earth puts more emphasis on first and exclusive for pay-TV,” Shiotani says.

First up is the first and exclusive telecast ofShark.

In addition, BBC Earth will premiere blue-chip David Attenborough seriesThe Huntin Asia less than 24 hours after the U.K., followed byLands of the Monsoon,Life Below Zeroseries three andInfested.

Next year’sOne Planet, another BBC blockbuster documentary, will also air on BBC Earth in Asia. BBC Earth’s expansion in Asia is part of a global shift to super-factual content, a possible response to what Shiotani calls a “nature deficit disorder”. About 50% of the world’s population is urban; “people are craving contact with nature”. BBC Earth is designed “to give people that inspiration to connect with nature,” Shiotani adds.

While BBC Knowledge may be disappearing, much of the content will live on, either on BBC Earth or on other BBC channels in Asia.Life Below Zeromigrates to BBC Earth along with shows such asExtreme Fishing. All the blue chip natural history and science will continue.

Shows likeUndercover Bosswill move to BBC Lifestyle, along with Gordon Ramsay’sHotel Hell,Secret MillionaireandGreat British Bake Off. Shiotani says BBC Lifestyle will be broadened to include human stories. “We still will be doing food and home and design, but we feel that there is a place for great human stories,” he adds.

This article originally appeared in ContentAsia's eNewsletter issue 219 published on 19 October 2015.