BBC Studios and UK broadcaster ITV have confirmed they will bring their TV streaming service, BritBox, to Australia later this year.
BritBox is set to feature an extensive library of British TV content from both channels. Although no official list of titles has been unveiled, the service is expected to include popular shows such as Blackadder, Broadchurch, Call the Midwife, Absolutely Fabulous, Doctor Who and Wolf Hall, which are all available on BritBox in the UK.
The launch follows the success of operations in the US, Canada and the UK itself. The Australian announcement coincides with the news today (February 5) that BritBox has exceeded 1 million subscribers in the US. There is no subscription data available from the UK, where the service launched last year.
An Australian launch date for BritBox is yet to be announced, though the service told MediaWeek it would be “later in 2020”. Details relating to content and pricing will arrive soon.
The announcement comes as more and more streaming services enter the domestic market, with Amazon Prime and Disney+ launching in Australia in the last two years.
BritBox is a partnership between ITV and BBC Studio. A local operations team will be recruited and announced.
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Fiona Lang, general manager for BBC Studios ANZ, said in a statement that the new service will “draw on [their] vast combined catalogue of acclaimed British content and will deliver it directly to Australian audiences via a proven and seamless streaming service”.
NME Australia has reached out to Stan and Netflix Australia for comment, and will update this story if and when they receive a response.