BritBox execs talk to TVBEurope about todays launch
Jenny Priestley 4 hours ago
BritBox execs talk to TVBEurope about today's launch
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> BritBox execs talk to TVBEurope about today's launch
https://www.tvbeurope.com/tvbeverywhere/britbox-nowhere-else-will-you-find-as-much-great-british-tv-and-film title=Share via Email class=share-email>
BritBox has officially launched to subscribers today, and has confirmed deals with Channel 4, Samsung, BT and EE.
The British Netflix' has signed a partnership deal with Channel 4 for content from All 4 and Film4. All 4 will launch on the streaming service in spring 2020, with new series being available 31 days following transmission of the last episode on Channel 4. Film4 will follow later in 2020.
BT and EE will offer BritBox to customers across their range of services in the coming months while Samsung will be the first connected TV to launch the BritBox app.
BritBox will stream in HD on all platforms and high bitrate full HD on big screens, with adaptive bitrate to reduce buffering and improve the experience on slower broadband connections. Each account can support up to five simultaneous streams. Additional functionality including offline downloads on mobile devices will be added in 2020.
Speaking to journalists on a conference call to mark the launch, Reemah Sakaan, group director ITV SVoD, was asked what success looks like for BritBox. It's probably not wise to be putting out a success criteria yet, she said. But it's fair to say we've got ambitious plans for BritBox, they're really realistic, and we are confident about establishing a really great business. Unlike some of the other streaming ventures, we very much intend for this to be profitable.
The back-end of BritBox has been built by OTT specialist Deltatre whose UX management platform AXIS is powering the user experience. According to Sakaan, BritBox will make sure that its users can find the content they want as easily as possible. There's some really cool stuff that the team has built from a technical point of view. One of the things that we really know is that quite often in streaming services, they are dominated by US shows and US talent and UK audiences can feel a bit lost.
With BritBox, you're immediately in a world populated by people and places that you know, and talent is a really, really important part of that. So we put that really at the heart of our navigation. There's a browse by actor feature, which is a really great visual way of saying, Oh, you know, I love John Simm, what else is he in?' It's very visual pictorially led.
BritBox obviously comes to the market with an extremely strong content offering in terms of shows that British viewers already know and love. At launch it includes full box-sets of Downton Abbey, Broadchurch, Only Fools and Horses, Gavin & Stacey and Love Island. From Boxing Day, all 627 available episodes of classic Doctor Who, originally broadcast between 1963 and 1989, will be available to stream for the first time ever.
According to Paul Moore, group communications and corporate affairs director at ITV, the content available on BritBox will be the differentiator in an increasingly crowded streaming market: The point of BritBox is nowhere else will you find as much great British TV and film, he said. I think that is the differentiator, the sheer scale and quality of what's available on BritBox eclipses the British content available on any other streamer or platform, and I think the consumer will get that.
We start today with a really extensive catalogue, added Sakaan. And we've got a whole range of exclusive shows on BritBox today, shows that you can't find anywhere else. We're also premiering a new series called Lambs of God, which has never been shown in the UK. We also have premiere episodes of Midsomer Murders, which haven't gone out on linear yet, and we're showing them first. There's a real selection of exclusives that you can't get anywhere else from the service already today.
Asked by TVBEurope if there are plans to launch original content for the platform, Sakaan said: We will be commissioning brand new series that will only exist on BritBox. They take slightly longer to make, obviously, and so we are in the throes of developing those and they'll be coming in 2020.
Sakaan also confirmed to TVBEurope that ITV is in talks about launching BritBox in to other international markets. We think BritBox is a great idea. It's really clear what it is and there are some natural next markets that we're having a look at, but it's only at that stage at the moment.
In terms of the future for BritBox, Moore said that as it's currently at day one, they're not willing to make any predictions just yet. We think we can build this venture to scale. What it will look like in a year's time, let alone five years time, I honestly wouldn't want to predict but we will build and shape it depending on what the consumers are telling us.
We've already done amazing deals with people like EE and Samsung. Those are all the building blocks that will enable us to get to scale. But, you know, we don't want to say today what we might look like in a year, let alone two or three years time.
SubscribeFor more stories like this, and to keep up to date with all our market leading news, features and analysis, sign up to our newsletter here.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
27/01/2026
January 14, 2026
We are proud to share that 25 Ontario, First Gulf's commercial project located just two minutes from our head office, has been recognized ...
27/01/2026
January 22, 2026
First Gulf is excited to share that a full-building lease has been secured at 625 Bronte Rd in Oakville, part of Bronte Station Business Park,...
27/01/2026
January 23, 2026
First Gulf continues to demonstrate its commitment to high-performance, sustainable real estate with 351 King Street East achieving BOMA BEST ...
27/01/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
27/01/2026
Nielsen will continue to drive growth and provide local audience measurement
in...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Amagi Media Labs Limited, the only cloud-native SaaS provider offering end-to-end solutions across live production, content preparation, distribution, and monet...
27/01/2026
Miri Technologies Inc. today unveiled its V410 live 4K video encoder/decoder for streaming, IP-based production workflows and AV-over-IP distribution. Designed ...
27/01/2026
The Paul E. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell in Massachusetts has chosen Ikegami cameras for incorporation into its broadcast-quality television production facili...
27/01/2026
SipRadius, specialists in secure, low latency media transport, will show the pro AV community its end-to-end solution for high quality content distribution and ...
27/01/2026
Hiltron will highlight the fruits of its 45-plus years of experience in satellite communications system integration and product development at the annual GovSat...
27/01/2026
Klvr will demonstrate how its Charger Pro solution is delivering cost reduction and performance benefits for live entertainment and pro AV markets at ISE 2026 (...
27/01/2026
Amino, a global media technology leader in enterprise video and digital signage, today announced that its Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 booth (4N700) wil...
27/01/2026
ANI, India's leading news agency and a major content provider across the Asia Pacific region, today announced a significant expansion of its long standing p...
27/01/2026
Independent analysis confirms faster encoding, lower CPU usage, and improved perceptual quality compared to CBR and CRF
VisualOn, a leader in multimedia playba...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
New agreement for uninterrupted UHF connectivity for Australian Defence Force through 2033, With Options Extending to 2041
Luxembourg, January 13, 2026 - Satel...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
When It Feels Real, Is It Still a Lie? The Art of Sarah' ...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
That Night premiering on Netflix March 13
Entertainment
27 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
DOWNLOAD THE KEY ART
DOWNLO...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Revealed the Future of Mexican Stories Coming in 2026
Entertainment
27 January 2026
GlobalMexico
Link copied to clipboard
Among t...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
Four New Japan Titles Announced for 2026: Viral Hit', On...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
What's Next on Netflix from Japan: Expanding the Possibili...
27/01/2026
AI, graphics and virtual software power new production capabilities...
27/01/2026
RT Supporting the Arts is delighted to support a dynamic programme of cultural events taking place across Ireland this February. From visual art, film, music, ...
26/01/2026
Music videos play a huge part in how fans connect with their favorite songs, but...
26/01/2026
NAIDOC launches 2026 theme 50 Years of Deadly , marks major milestone
25 January, 2026
Media releases
The National NAIDOC Committee has today unveiled its...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) today announced an exclusive partnership with Nu Studio, the company behind the first modular, portable studio designed for immersi...
26/01/2026
OpenDrives, the leader in high-end video data management and workflow solutions, today announced an add-on investment to its previous funding rounds, led by IAG...
26/01/2026
SmallHD today announced a major update to its award-winning PageOS software, introducing Fleet Control, Portrait Mode, expanded Camera Control features, and Dow...
26/01/2026
Whether rigging a PTZ on a truss, sliding a Blackmagic camera across a mezzanine railing, or capturing the mayhem from inside a drum, Filipic delivers visuals t...
26/01/2026
26 Jan 2026
VEON Unveils the New Beeline Uzbekistan Network Operations Center, ...
26/01/2026
Bookish is created by and stars Mark Gatiss
Images available HERE
Following th...
26/01/2026
Monday 26 January 2026
New Sky Original Series explores Entertainment Juggernaut, The X Factor
Sky today confirmed it has greenlit a premium, definitive docum...
26/01/2026
Monday 26 January 2026
Sky confirms major investment to transform Livingston ca...
26/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils Official Trailer for Salvador
Entertainment
26 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
DISCOVER THE TRAILER
DO...
26/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Presents Our 2026 Series and Films and Announces New Projects
Entertainment
26 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
...
BritBox execs talk to TVBEurope about todays launch
