The BBC has taken aim at Netflix's spending costs, arguing that it gives viewers many more programmes to enjoy for the same reported amount that Netflix spends on making one series.

Earlier this year, The Crown creator Peter Morgan said that reports of the series' budget had been hugely exaggerated, adding that "none of the rumours of our budget were true". But that hasn't stopped the Beeb from using the reported cost of making Netflix hit The Crown as an example.

The BBC claimed that it makes 18 different series for the same amount as the cost of making The Crown – and made its point in a Twitter post captioned: "More top-quality British drama for your money..."

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More top-quality British drama for your money... pic.twitter.com/PBPHVu2RgK — BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) July 11, 2018

According to the post, £97 million was spent making seasons one and two of The Crown, resulting in 20 hours of content across two seasons, which was viewed by 14% of adults and ranks 8.2/10 for viewer appreciation of that content.

Meanwhile, the BBC claims to have spent £97 million making 18 different drama series – including Poldark, Call the Midwife, Our Girl, Peaky Blinders, Sherlock and many more – and producing around 85 hours of content viewed by 72% of adults with a viewer appreciation ranking of 8.7/10.

The BBC's fighting talk comes as it is set to publish a list of its highest-paid stars as part of its annual report, where it will make the pay of those receiving a salary of more than £150,000 public for a second year.

Last year's list revealed that Chris Evans was the highest-paid BBC star in the 2016/17 financial year, and also revealed a huge gender pay gap, with Claudia Winkleman the highest-paid woman earning just £450,000 compared to Evans' £2 million.

Getty Images BBC

While the stars and presenters from news, sport, children's and in-house BBC radio shows will all have their salary shared if they're earning over £150k, programmes made by BBC Studios do not have to be included this time around, as it's been classed as a commercial entity since April 2017.

This means that stars and presenters from dramas like EastEnders and Doctor Who, as well as entertainment shows like Strictly Come Dancing and comedies like Mrs Brown's Boys – among many others – don't have to be made public at this time.

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