Great British Bake Off at centre of £100million tug of war as TV rivals fight for hit show when C4 contract ends
Bake Off has been Channel 4's biggest show since it moved to the channel from BBC1 in 2017.
THE Great British Bake Off could be at the centre of a £100million bidding war with streaming giants lining up to snatch it from Channel 4.
The broadcaster’s contract runs out at the end of the year, leaving the creators — Love Productions — with its pick of where to take the contest.
Netflix had been named as a potential buyer, but rival Disney+ is also likely to throw its hat into the ring.
A TV insider said: “Having two huge corporations enter the race has hugely inflated the value of the show, which is already sought-after due to its global appeal.
“Streamers are also looking to combine their model with shows that air at the same time and day each week.
“Netflix is already doing this with WWE wrestling and Disney+ recently bought the US version of Strictly.
“The talk is they’re both looking to do the same with a big British show.”
The soaring value of Bake Off comes as Channel 4 lays off staff amid reports of financial difficulties.
It has already axed the civilian version of SAS: Who Dares Wins, Rise and Fall, and Steph’s Packed Lunch.
And last year it said Hollyoaks was moving from its linear channel.
Bake Off has been its biggest show since it moved to the channel from BBC1 in 2017.
However, last year it had the lowest figure of any final on C4 — with just 4.4million viewers.