BBC Worldwide and ITV have officially launched their British television SVOD service BritBox in the U.S.
The service will feature U.S. premieres and a “Now” section that offers episodes of British soaps and other programs 24 hours after they broadcast in the U.K. BritBox will also compile classic BBC and ITV series.
BritBox costs $6.99 per month—after an introductory free trial period—and is available on web browsers, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile phones and tablets—with Roku and Chromecast compatibility coming shortly after launch.
“BBC and ITV are known for a vast array of diverse and award-winning programming that fans in the U.S. love and want to watch,” said Soumya Sriraman, president of BritBox, in a statement. “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.”
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BritBox will feature series including "New Blood," "Tutankhamun," "The Moonstone," and "In The Dark," as well as older British series from ITV and the BBC including "Brideshead Revisited," "Pride and Prejudice," "Upstairs Downstairs," "State of Play," "Inspector Morse," "Rosemary and Thyme," "Keeping Up Appearances" and "Fawlty Towers."
“The BBC and ITV each have a long history of creating spectacular premium content and some of the most iconic shows on television. We are delighted to expand our current partnership with BBC Worldwide and view this investment as a strategic opportunity for AMC Networks to participate in a digital platform dedicated to offering shows of the highest quality," said AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan in a statement.
It’s unclear if BritBox is the service to which Tony Hall, director-general and chairman of BBC Worldwide, was referring when he said in late 2015 that BBC had plans to launch an OTT service in the U.S. in 2016. That service, which BBC left unnamed at the time, was meant to be a standalone and not a reworking of the iPlayer platform BBC Worldwide had used to offer its programming outside of the U.K. but not in the U.S.