NEW YORK\/LONDON: BBC Worldwide and ITV have combined forces to launch an ad-free SVOD service in the U.S., BritBox, which AMC Networks will have a stake in.<\/p>\n
Set to launch in Q1 2017, BritBox will celebrate the best of British TV, with a range of dramas never before seen in the U.S., among them New Blood<\/em>, Tutankhamun<\/em>, The Moonstone<\/em> and In the Dark<\/em>. The \u201cNow\u201d category will feature a selection of soaps and series that will be available as soon as 24 hours after their U.K. broadcasts, including Eastenders<\/em>, Emmerdale<\/em> and Holby City<\/em>. A British classics collection will boast such iconic period dramas as Brideshead Revisited<\/em>, Pride and Prejudice<\/em> and Upstairs Downstairs<\/em>.<\/p>\n BritBox will be available on web, mobile (iOS and Android), Roku, AppleTV and Chromecast at launch in the U.S. There are plans to bring the service into other international markets.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe BBC and ITV are the two most prolific content producers and broadcasters in British television\u2014both known for their unrivaled, groundbreaking shows,\u201d said Ann Sarnoff, the president of BBC Worldwide North America. \u201cBritBox will offer a streaming experience like no other, with thousands of hours of programs across a wide variety of genres\u2014some of which will be available right after their U.K. broadcast. This will be a must-have service for lovers of British television.\u201d<\/p>\n Simon Pitts, ITV’s managing director of online, pay TV and interactive, said, \u201cBritain produces some of the best television in the world and we\u2019re delighted to be bringing the creative might of the BBC and ITV together for the first time in this exciting new streaming service for U.S. fans. ITV is now a global production and distribution business and this marks the first step in our international ambitions for BritBox.\u201d<\/p>\n Josh Sapan, AMC Networks’\u00a0president and CEO, said, \u201cThe 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. We think this service will be irresistible to people who value creative content and great television.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NEW YORK\/LONDON: BBC Worldwide and ITV have combined forces to launch an ad-free SVOD service in the U.S., BritBox, which AMC Networks will have a stake in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":350,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[170,1087],"class_list":["post-7545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","","category-top-stories","tag-bbc-worldwide","tag-itv"],"yoast_head":"\n