According to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO), cuts to content and service coverage have saved the BBC £1 billion this year.
NAO revealed that the Corporation has reduced the number of new television broadcasts it offers to royalty payers, and that the number of repeat shows on its three main channels has increased.
Repeat programming on BBC 1 has grown by 22%, believed to be part of a strategy to tackle the shift in viewing habits when working on a finite budget.
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Until September 2021, BBC tried to limit the cut of TV and radio content it offered.
However, the BBC estimates that 41% of their annual savings will come from cutting back on content and service coverage.
The NAO forecast also assumes 12% of savings will come from income generation and 11% from changes to the combined schedule.
But BBC has increased access to content by extending the time shows are available on iPlayer and rolling out BBC Sounds.
In the report, they said the BBC is forecast to exceed its initial savings target of £800 million and is on track to meet its own goal of increasing it to £1 billion a year.
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Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “Over the past decade, the BBC has consistently made savings, and largely to meet its target of £1 billion in annual savings by 2021-22.
“However, in the coming years, it will need to make even more significant savings while also addressing a host of other challenges, particularly a declining audience share.
“The BBC must ensure its savings plans do not further erode its standing with audiences.”
The report also suggests that the BBC plans to embark on a new savings scheme between 2022 and 2023, requiring further cuts in content and services in operations.
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However, it is negotiating the license fee for 2022 with the government and the outcome of the negotiations could increase the savings it will need to provide.
A statement from the BBC said: “The NAO report concludes that the BBC has saved almost £1 billion over the past five years – significantly above our original £800 million target – and continues to is the most used media organization in the UK.
“We will continue to focus on modernizing, improving efficiency, and prioritizing spending on a range of high-quality content to ensure value for money for all license fee payers.”
