BritBox goes live in the US
March 8, 2017
By Colin Mann
Describing it as ‘a service truly fit for a queen’, BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, and ITV, the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster, have launched BritBox, a new subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) streaming service – first revealed mid-December 2016 – with what it says is the most comprehensive collection of British television, across all genres, available anywhere in the US.
With thousands of hours of programming at launch – the majority exclusive, and many new shows added weekly – the service features US premieres of highly sought-after shows; a ‘Now’ category, which serves up British soaps and other programmes as soon as 24 hours after UK broadcast; and a treasure-trove of iconic series that have made the BBC and ITV the world’s foremost producers of television content.
“BBC and ITV are known for a vast array of diverse and award-winning programming that fans in the US love and want to watch,” said Soumya Sriraman, President, BritBox. “Those fans now have a one-of-a-kind SVoD service option that offers a single point of access to an extensive collection of outstanding British programming to discover and enjoy.”
In addition to an expansive catalogue, BritBox features specially-curated playlists, such as ‘Very British Beginnings’, which showcases actors such as Daniel Craig, Emily Blunt, and James Corden early in their careers. Other playlists that help fans discover new favourites include ‘Best of British Comedy’, ‘Iconic Detectives’, and ‘Literary Adaptations’.
BritBox is now available for $6.99 (€6.62) per month – after an introductory free trial period – on responsive web, AppleTV, iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile phones and tablets – with Roku and Chromecast shortly after launch.