BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, and ITV, the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster, today announced a new joint venture that sees the two British content powerhouses combine forces to launch BritBox, an ad-free subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, in the U.S. during Q1, 2017. AMC Networks, which has a joint venture with BBC Worldwide for cable channel BBC AMERICA, is investing in BritBox with a non-voting minority interest. BBC Worldwide and ITV share an equal majority stake in the joint venture.This unique streaming service will celebrate the very best of British TV, and offer the most comprehensive SVOD collection of British content in the market today. For decades, BBC and ITV have produced iconic British television series, and for the first time these shows will be combined in a single, curated service allowing fans to find the classic shows they love and discover new hit series.
The BritBox proposition will feature:
* An array of drama premieres never-before-seen in the U.S., including New Blood, from acclaimed novelist Anthony Horowitz, Tutankhamun, The Moonstone, and In The Dark, from BAFTA award-winning writer Danny Brocklehurst (Ordinary Lies). Also, season premieres of drama favorites Cold Feet and Silent Witness.
* The “Now” category will feature an amazing selection of soaps and series that will be available as soon as 24 hours after their UK broadcast, including much-loved titles Eastenders, Emmerdale and Holby City.
* A British classics collection from ITV and the BBC, featuring iconic period dramas Brideshead Revisited, Pride and Prejudice, and Upstairs Downstairs; political thriller State of Play; murder mystery series Inspector Morse and Rosemary and Thyme; favorite sitcoms Keeping Up Appearances and Fawlty Towers; and much more.