BritBox has only been available in the UK for three years, serving up classic shows from major UK broadcast channels including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. However, there are rumours that there are big changes on the way.
Cordbusters reports that BritBox UK will eventually be folded into the upcoming streaming service ITVX, ITV’s new platform set to debut later this year.
It’s already been confirmed by ITV that the BritBox library will be available via ITVX , which will feature a free, ad-supported tier and a premium, ad-free tier with more content. ITV published the following statement in a press release :
“BritBox will remain the standalone subscription home of the best of British content… until later this year, when the content on ITV Hub and BritBox come together in what will be the new streaming home of ITV, ITVX.”
Cordbusters claims that this will mark the end of the availability of BritBox as a standalone service – and furthermore that BritBox will not produce any of its own Originals anymore, with ITVX taking creative control of new streaming shows and films. If this is the case, it’s not known whether ongoing BritBox Originals such as Spitting Image will continue to be produced under the ITVX label.
At the start of March, it was revealed that the BBC would no longer be a stakeholder in BritBox going forward. The company sold its 10% ownership to ITV, though it will continue to lend the content that it has promised to the service, such as all the classic series of Doctor Who .
Allegedly, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are “still committed to BritBox”, so expect to still see shows from these channels on the library.
We’ve contacted ITV and BritBox for comment on this story, but have received no reply thus far.
It’s unsurprising really, considering that a lot of its shows are available on other free on-demand platforms such as the ITV Hub , BBC iPlayer , and All 4 . The streaming service has seen more success abroad, where it’s harder to come across classic UK TV shows.
Whilst BritBox is possibly being merged over on UK shores, there are no rumours about it closing in the US or internationally. In fact, BritBox launched in four Nordic countries today.
Pricing for ITVX has not yet been revealed. However, the ad-free version of ITV Hub costs £3.99 per month, so with the additional content, we expect ITVX to be a little bit more expensive than BritBox to compete with other rivals.
Articles for further reading
- The best streaming service: Netflix vs Amazon Prime & more
- The best movies on BritBox
- Best TV shows on BritBox
- How to cancel a BritBox subscription
Author: Hannah Cowton-Barnes, Entertainment Editor, Tech Advisor
As Tech Advisor’s Entertainment Editor, Hannah is the resident expert in all things streaming, film and TV. Before joining Tech Advisor in 2019, she studied Theatre and Performance at the University of Leeds and created a website dedicated to geek culture and lifestyle. She’s also reviewed a whole range of gadgets including flagship smartphones, wearables and styling tools. Outside of Foundry, she’s written freelance pieces for Polygon, Metro and Den of Geek, and is proud to be a Women Techmakers Ambassador for Google.
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