(18 June 2008 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: BBC.com, the commercial venture offering advertising on the BBC's global news website for users outside the UK, is building its Australian sales team to increase local and international ad opportunities.

Olivia Parkes and Mark Davies have joined BBC.com's newly-formed Asia Pacific in-house sales and operations team, and will be based at BBC Worldwide's North Sydney headquarters.

Parkes joins as ad operations manager. Parkes will report to UK-based sales operations controller Matthew Brown. Parkes and her team across Asia will optimise all Asia Pacific sales operations for the BBC.com website. Davies, who joins as ad sales manager, will focus on business development and sales to Australian advertisers keen to reach BBC.com's Australasian eyeballs.

BBC.com MD Kym Niblock says, "These key hires are great news for BBC.com. A key part of BBC Worldwide's growth strategy is driving revenues from outside the UK and the Australian advertising market holds great potential for us. We're delighted with the calibre and scope of the new team for what is an exciting proposition."

Williams says, "We are entering an exciting phase in BBC.com's development and our expanding sales team will help Australian and international advertisers tap into the diverse audience that embraces the site.

"Australasian advertisers can expect to join blue-chip global clients such as Rolex, Airbus, HSBC and Cathay Pacific amongst others."

With 48 million impressions pcm (ComScore May 2008) and 1.696 million unique visitors pcm (BBC Worldwide data) in Australia alone, BBC.com offers advertisers an opportunity to engage with the BBC's online audience, both internationally and within Australia.

BBC.com has been developed in order to generate revenue for the BBC from non-UK, non-licence paying traffic to its web properties.

Developed by BBC Worldwide in conjunction with BBC Global News, the proposition taps into the audience (29 million users per month - ComScore May 2008) that bbc.co.uk attracts from outside the UK.