The BBC is opening an office in the Netherlands so it can keep transmitting across the EU if there is a no-deal Brexit, news agency Bloomberg said on Thursday.

The broadcast licences which will be moved cover shows which the BBC beams to other EU countries, such as Doctor Who and Eastenders, sources close to the discussions told Bloomberg.

Under EU rules, broadcasters have to have considerable operations or a satellite uplink to qualify for a licence. Bloomberg said last year that the BBC was in talks with Dutch and Irish broadcast authorities to obtain licences.

The BBC has not officially confirmed the decision. ‘As an international broadcaster operating a number of commercial channels in the EU we are ensuring the necessary arrangements are in place to continue operating those channels in any changed regulatory environment,’ a BBC Studios spokesperson told Broadband TV News.

‘If any of BBC Studios’ commercial channels are required to be licensed in the EU it would involve a limited number of staff responsible for editorial decisions relating to those channels.’

In September, British online sports channel DAZN said it is opening a new development centre in Amsterdam as part of its plan to become the ‘Netflix of sports’ and protect its operations from the impact of Brexit.