BBC being ‘threatened by Netflix vast budget’

Netflix could drive up BBC spending as the broadcaster attempts to tackle its wage bill, a report has found.

Drama is particularly under threat from the streaming giant while sports pundits can earn up to seven times as much with another broadcaster, the report claims.

The BBC has worked to cut its wage bill in the wake of controversy over gender pay and large sums paid to figures such as Chris Evans and Gary Lineker, slashing spending on stars from £194 million to £148m.

A report published yesterday by the National Audit Office raised concerns that wage bill savings could be threatened by the vast budget of Netflix.

It claims the streaming service has had an“inflationary” impact on the skills market and could lure staff from the BBC, or force the broadcaster to pay more for talent.