Most Iconic³⁰
Companies in
Internet History

The BBC helped define what a public service looks like on the Internet. Starting in the late 1990s, BBC Online and BBC News Online treated the web as a destination with updating pages, clear explainers, and an open archive. In 2005 the newsroom built a user-generated content hub to verify eyewitness photos and video; during the London bombings it became essential and influenced newsroom standards worldwide. BBC News Online earned Webby recognition in 2007 for leadership. That same year, iPlayer changed how people watched TV, making catch up and binge behavior mainstream. BBC Bitesize grew into the UK’s digital classroom, while BBC Sounds gathered live radio, podcasts, and mixes in one place. BBC Earth’s Instagram, a 2016 Webby honoree, and A VR Spacewalk, honored in 2017, turned natural history and science into immersive experiences. The BBC’s digital work trained a generation to expect public institutions to be useful, fast, and humane online, and it set patterns that shaped how journalism, streaming, and educational content evolved well beyond the UK.

NOTABLE WORK

BBC News (2007)

BBC Earth IG account (2016)

BBC Home: A VR spacewalk (2017)

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The 30th Annual Webby Awards is Open

Earning a Webby Award can take your company to new heights, but only if you participate. Submit work in the 30th Annual Webby Awards by the Early Entry Deadline on Friday, October 24, 2025 for best pricing.