History of BritBox in Timeline

BritBox is a subscription-based video streaming service providing access to a large collection of British television shows and films. Owned by BBC Studios, it operates in multiple countries including Australia, Europe, and North America. The service offers a mix of current, past, and original British programming from major broadcasters like the BBC and ITV, marketing itself as having the largest collection of British box sets available. Original programming began in 2020.

November 2007: Project Kangaroo codename

In November 2007, BritBox has been likened to an earlier attempt by UK public service broadcasters (PSBs) (BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4) to create an online video-on-demand download service, codenamed "Project Kangaroo".

2008: Project Kangaroo expected launch

In 2008, Project Kangaroo was expected to launch. Journalist Mark Lawson likened the proposed project to BBC Worldwide's previous failed platform, Project Kangaroo, and described it as "bizarre" and "hugely risky".

February 2009: Project Kangaroo blocked by Competition Commission

On Wednesday, 4 February 2009, Project Kangaroo was blocked by the Competition Commission.

February 2010: SeeSaw service launched

In February 2010, following the blocking of Project Kangaroo, the system's assets were sold to Arqiva, leading to the development of SeeSaw, which operated with content from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5.

October 2011: SeeSaw service ceased operation

In October 2011, the SeeSaw service, which contained content from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, ceased operations.

March 2016: BBC and ITV discuss Netflix-style service

In March 2016, the BBC and ITV held talks to launch a Netflix-style TV service, with NBCUniversal also initially involved.

December 2016: BritBox US launch officially announced

In December 2016, the launch of BritBox in the United States was officially announced, with the launch date set for 7 March 2017. Shows announced included New Blood, Tutankhamun, The Moonstone, In The Dark, Cold Feet and Silent Witness.

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March 2017: BritBox launches in the United States

On 7 March 2017, BritBox was first launched in the United States.

February 2018: BritBox launches in Canada

On 14 February 2018, BritBox launched in Canada.

February 2019: BritBox UK launch announcement

In February 2019, it was announced that BritBox would launch in the UK later in the year as a rival to Netflix.

March 2019: Channel 4 confirms interest in BritBox collaboration

In March 2019, Channel 4 confirmed their interest in collaborating with the BBC and ITV on BritBox. McMafia, Last Tango in Halifax, Les Misérables and the sitcom Gavin & Stacey were some of the programmes available on the UK version, at launch.

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July 2019: BBC and ITV sign agreement to launch BritBox in UK

In July 2019, the BBC and ITV signed an agreement to launch BritBox in the UK in the last quarter of 2019.

September 2019: Distribution platform deals announced

In September 2019, ITV announced a deal with ViacomCBS for Channel 5 and Comedy Central UK content, followed by an announcement that Samsung TVs, Freeview Play and YouView would be the first distribution platforms.

October 2019: BritBox UK beta launch

In October 2019, BritBox launched its "testing phase" (beta) in the United Kingdom, allowing users to sign up for a free trial to experience a "snapshot of what will be there at launch".

October 2019: BritBox evaluates further market opportunities

On 15 October 2019, BBC Studios global distribution president, Paul Dempsey, acknowledged the potential for the UK-skewing service to expand into additional markets. BBC Studios and ITV announced that they would continue assessing new opportunities for BritBox's rollout in territories worldwide, alongside the launch of BritBox in Australia.

November 2019: BritBox UK launch

In November 2019, the UK BritBox service was launched.

November 2019: Channel 4 joins BritBox with content deal

One day before the UK launch, on 6 November 2019, Channel 4 agreed to join BritBox after signing a 3-year deal to provide 1000+ hours of content from All 4, including new series and an exclusive Film4 curated service featuring iconic British films. For the first time, all the UK's traditional channels have brought together programs on a single streaming service.

December 2019: BritBox North America reaches profitability

On 5 December 2019, ITV's subscription video on demand Group Director Reemah Sakaan said in an interview that the service in North America had reached profitability.

March 2020: ITV reports 'on plan' following UK launch

In March 2020, ITV reported that BritBox was "on plan" following its UK launch in November 2019, with "strong growth" in subscribers, but did not disclose specific numbers.

March 2020: BritBox Australia launch announced

On 5 March 2020, the BBC and ITV announced the launch of BritBox in Australia. The service would provide Australians "an unrivalled collection of great British TV shows, and will build on the successful launch and operation of the service in both North America (the USA and Canada) and most recently in the UK".

March 2020: BritBox to launch in Australia

On March 5, 2020, the BBC and ITV announced that BritBox would launch in Australia in late 2020.

April 2020: Channel 4 content available on BritBox

In April 2020, content from Channel 4 became available on BritBox, as per their agreement.

July 2020: BritBox announces international expansion plans

On 27 July 2020, BritBox announced plans to expand its service to 25 more countries across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America, and Africa. The specific target countries and the expected completion timeframe were not specified.

August 2020: Investment in BritBox Australia confirmed

On 21 August 2020, ITV and BBC Studios announced an investment of over A$35 million (€21.2m) into BritBox Australia, scheduled to launch in late 2020. ITV has confirmed that BritBox Australia is on track to launch on time despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

September 2020: Film4 titles made available on BritBox

In September 2020, BritBox UK added 25 titles, primarily from the Film4 library, including Trainspotting, Beast, Charlotte Gray and The Hatton Garden Job, which were made available on the service from September 17, 2020.

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September 2020: BritBox reveals plans to ramp up international presence

In late September 2020, ITV group director, SVOD, Reemah Sakaan addressed the plans to ramp up the service's international presence. She said that BritBox would primarily target markets that consume large amounts of English-language entertainment including large ones such as India, as well as "passion"-driven markets such as the Nordic countries.

October 2020: Soumya Sriraman departs as BritBox US and Canada's president

On 6 October 2020, Soumya Sriraman departed as BritBox US and Canada's president, following the announcement that BritBox had reached 1.5 million subscribers in the US and Canada. Emily Powers was announced as her replacement on 23 October and would lead the North American service at the end of October when Soumya Sriraman departs.

November 2020: BritBox Australia launched

On 23 November 2020, BritBox launched in Australia, on what ITV globally recognizes as "Doctor Who Day".

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November 2020: BritBox launches in Australia

On November 23, 2020, BritBox officially launched its service in Australia.

2020: Service expansion to new territories

From 2020, BritBox launched in Australia, South Africa, and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden), through local partnerships. Content restrictions exist between platforms.

2020: Subscriber base surpasses 1 million in North America

In 2020, BritBox in North America surpassed 1 million users. Following the COVID-19 pandemic and frequent national and local lockdowns, in August, BritBox had surpassed 1.2 million subscribers in North America.

2020: Additional original programming available

In 2020, BritBox made additional original programming available on its service.

2020: Subscriber growth in North America

In early 2020, BritBox's subscriber base in the US and Canada surpassed 1 million users, reaching around 1.2 million by August and 1.5 million by October, driven by strong growth in North America due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The service provides British soaps and dramas such as EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, within hours of their UK broadcast via BritBox's 'Now' feature to US and Canadian users, but also includes extensive archives of older programming, including Doctor Who classic series on the service.

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February 2021: BritBox to launch in South Africa

On 16 February 2021, BBC Studios and ITV announced that BritBox is to launch in South Africa in the second half of 2021.

March 2021: UK subscriber milestone reached

In March 2021, BritBox UK surpassed 500,000 subscribers, reaching the company's UK target.

March 2021: BritBox joins Amazon Video Channels and surpasses subscriber milestone

On 8 March 2021, it was announced that BritBox UK would join Amazon Video Channels in spring 2021 for UK Amazon Prime subscribers, and on 9 March it was announced that the UK service had surpassed 500,000 subscribers.

July 2021: Launch date for South African platform announced

On 27 July 2021, the launch date for the South African platform was announced, and it launched on 6 August 2021.

July 2021: BritBox launch date announced for South Africa

On July 27, 2021, the BBC and ITV announced that the launch date for BritBox in South Africa would be August 6, 2021, with a price of R99.99 per month or R999.90 per year, including a 7-day free trial.

August 2021: BritBox launches in South Africa

BritBox launched in South Africa on August 6, 2021.

December 2021: Distribution partnership announced for Nordic countries

On 14 December 2021, BritBox International announced a distribution partnership with C More (TV 2 would be the distributor in Norway), bringing the service to C More and TV 2 Play subscribers in the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden from early 2022.

December 2021: BritBox International partnership with C More announced

On December 14, 2021, BritBox International announced a distribution partnership with C More (with TV 2 as the distributor in Norway), bringing the service to C More and TV2 subscribers in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway from early 2022. Users could also sign up directly through the BritBox website.

April 2022: BritBox launches in Nordic countries

On 28 April 2022, BritBox launched in the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

July 2022: Subscriber base reaches 2.6 million

By July 1, 2022, BritBox had reached 2.6 million subscribers.

2022: ITV becomes sole owner of BritBox UK

In 2022, ITV acquired the BBC's 10% stake to become the sole owner of BritBox UK. Also in 2022, Britbox programmes were included when ITVX launched its ad-free premium service.

2023: Ofcom prediction of 2 million UK subscribers

A study commissioned by the UK media regulator Ofcom previously predicted that BritBox could have 2 million UK subscribers by the year 2023, alongside newly launched US-based SVODs Disney+ and Apple TV+.

April 2024: BritBox ceases streaming in the UK

In April 2024, BritBox ceased streaming as a standalone app in the UK and was removed from other services like Amazon Prime Video. Its content was absorbed into ITVX's premium streaming service.