ITV and the BBC have now signed an agreement to launch BritBox in the UK, available to buy at the end of 2019. This is a bold move for ITV and BBC as they seek to work together to offer something fresh and unique to the public.
Main features
• BritBox will be competitively priced at £5.99 per month in HD and across multiple screens and devices, which is less than other streaming services.
• BritBox will be full of the nation’s favourite programmes and home to the largest collection of British boxsets. In addition to this storehouse, BritBox is commissioning a broad range of original series made exclusively for BritBox.
• The brand-new streaming service will be co-branded by ITV and the BBC and will showcase the depth and breadth of British creativity, on demand, ad free and all in one place.
• Mainstream audiences are moving to SVOD in large numbers and research shows that there is a real appetite among British viewers for a new British streaming service – in addition to their current subscriptions.
• BritBox will be the place to view shows recently broadcast on ITV and BBC including Love Island, Famalam, Cleaning Up and Gentleman Jack as well as bringing home iconic shows such as Gavin And Stacey, Victoria, Happy Valley, Broadchurch, Les Miserables, The Office and Benidorm which will be on the service at launch or come onto the service shortly after when licences with other SVODs end.
Carolyn McCall, CEO of ITV, says:
“The agreement to launch BritBox is a milestone moment. Subscription video on demand is increasingly popular with consumers who love being able to watch what they want when they want to watch it. They are also happy to pay for this ease of access to quality content and so BritBox is tapping into this, and a new revenue stream for UK public service broadcasters.”
“ITV and BBC have made, and continue to make, the programmes that both reflect and shape British culture and creativity. We now look forward to working together to launch the largest collection of British boxsets ever – bringing the very best in past, present and future British programming and award-winning content to viewers all in one place.
“We are already working together on BritBox in the US and Canada and this is proving to be very successful, exceeding its targets.
“We are committed to making BritBox UK a great success. Discussions continue with other content and distribution partners and we are looking forward to making further announcements in the coming months.”
BBC Director General, Tony Hall, says: “We have a world beating TV industry with outstanding content. The BBC and ITV are at the centre of that. Together, we have been responsible for delivering the majority of “must see” moments on British TV over the last decade. That ‘must see’ content will now be on BritBox.
“But this service isn’t just about the past. I am really excited about the new shows it will commission. With a remit to be daring and different, many future classics will be commissioned and live on BritBox for the future. These are exciting times for people who love quality TV. Importantly, these shows will be truly British, showcasing our culture and telling distinctive stories. It’s what makes real British TV so special.”
BritBox will tap into the demand for a new British streaming service and the innovative new service will have thousands of hours of the nation’s favourite content from ITV and the BBC (as well as from other British broadcasters and production companies) across a variety of genres, including critically acclaimed drama, crime thrillers, classic comedy and powerful documentaries alongside reality hits and entertainment.
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