The BBC is planning around 110 compulsory redundancies in Media Tech, the division that helps power online services including iPlayer and BBC Sounds, even as digital platforms become increasingly important to the broadcaster's future.
The proposed redundancies were announced internally on Monday, 28 September, as part of a fresh £37 million savings round reported by Deadline. Media Tech is being asked to cut costs while improving digital products as audiences increasingly turn to streaming and online platforms.
The changes are part of the BBC's broader £500 million savings programme. They also highlight the challenge of expanding its digital services while cutting costs and reducing the workforce responsible for supporting them.
BBC Media Tech Faces Another Round of Cuts
BBC Media Tech has been told to find £37 million in new savings after delivering £42 million of cuts earlier this year, according to Deadline.
Around 110 employees face compulsory redundancy, while 35 vacant positions will be closed. The BBC also expects around 180 Media Tech employees to leave through voluntary redundancy, a total that includes the roughly 150 departures reported the previous week.
More savings are planned.
Deadline reported that Kelly Kowal, the BBC's chief operations and portfolio officer, told staff that Media Tech would need to find another £23 million in early 2027.
The outlet said Media Tech is expected to contribute £102 million towards the BBC's wider £500 million savings programme.
The cuts come against a backdrop of continued pressure on licence-fee income. The BBC's 2025/26 annual report shows that the number of television licences in force declined by 539,000 to 23.3 million.
Licence-fee income nevertheless increased by £36 million to £3.9 billion, largely because of the licence-fee uplift during the financial year.
Across the corporation, the BBC expects its £500 million savings programme to reduce headcount by roughly 1,800 to 2,000 jobs over three years.
Fewer Staff as BBC Puts More Weight on iPlayer
The timing is significant because the BBC is simultaneously putting greater emphasis on digital distribution.
In March 2026, the BBC announced the creation of Media Tech by bringing together product and technology teams from across the group. The division supports technology behind the broadcaster's digital and broadcast services, including online platforms such as iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
Deadline reported that Media Tech is now expected to concentrate on fewer products while directing more resources towards improving iPlayer.
Director-general Matt Brittin has made improving the streaming service a priority.
Giving evidence to MPs on 8 July, Brittin said some of the BBC's technology investment had fallen behind where it should be and identified iPlayer's recommendation system and broader digital audience experience as areas requiring improvement.
He also said iPlayer's recommendation system should be designed around the BBC's public-service role, with public-service value at the heart of how content is recommended to viewers.
The broader BBC strategy is moving in the same direction. Brittin has repeatedly discussed the need to reach audiences on digital platforms as viewing habits shift away from traditional linear broadcasting.
BBC Sport has also increased its focus on digital platforms as audience behaviour changes. Football Focus ended after 52 years earlier this year, with the BBC saying it would expand its football output across digital platforms, including exclusive shows on YouTube.
That leaves the broadcaster trying to expand its digital reach while spending less on the technology organisation supporting that transition.
AI Becomes Part of BBC's Efficiency Drive
Artificial intelligence will also form part of Media Tech's push for greater efficiency.
Deadline reported that Kowal told staff the division would embrace AI as it looks for ways to reduce costs. Separately, the BBC's annual report says adoption of AI tools increased rapidly during 2025, with around half of its staff now using AI tools each week.
There is, however, no evidence in the available reporting that AI directly caused the 110 proposed compulsory redundancies. The Media Tech savings programme also includes staffing reductions, closing vacant positions, operating savings and decisions about which digital products will continue to receive investment.
It would therefore go beyond the available evidence to attribute the proposed job losses specifically to automation.
For employees, the immediate impact is clearer. Media Tech faces both compulsory and voluntary redundancies while being asked to deliver another £23 million in savings in early 2027.
Kowal acknowledged the uncertainty created by the restructuring and told employees the BBC would be 'caring, respectful and considered' in helping staff through their options.
BBC Tries to Build Its Digital Future for Less
The financial pressure reaches beyond Media Tech.
BBC Group cash reserves fell from £477 million at the end of March 2025 to £257 million at the end of March 2026. The corporation's annual report attributed the decline to its continuing income-and-expenditure deficit.
At the same time, the BBC's digital audience continues to grow. In an average week during 2025/26, a record 35 million of the 45 million adults who used BBC services accessed its online services.
That helps explain why services such as iPlayer and BBC Sounds have become increasingly important as the broadcaster adapts to changing viewing and listening habits.
The BBC is therefore trying to improve iPlayer, expand its use of AI and reach audiences across more digital platforms while cutting hundreds of millions of pounds from its costs.
What the available evidence does not yet show is how those savings will ultimately affect the performance or development of its digital services. For now, the broadcaster is attempting to make its technology operation leaner at the same time as it asks digital products to carry more of its future.
