Spitting Image helps BritBox UK reach internal target of half a million subscribers.
BritBox was originally created by the BBC and ITV for international markets. ITV controls the UK version which launched in 2019 with a 90% share. Containing programmes from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5, it boasts the biggest collection of British box-sets in one place.
ITV says content and subscriptions to BritBox UK have “both grown rapidly”. It told investors that the service was “leveraging and expanding the broad collection of exclusive content available as well as original commission Spitting Image“.
New Spitting Image triggered a tenfold increase in the daily rate of new subscriptions to the service. A second season has already been commissioned for later this year. BritBox’s first original drama commission is due to go live in May. The drama, The Beast Must Die is a thriller starring Cush Jumbo and Jared Harris.
ITV’s chief executive Carolyn McCall said:
“It’s been a great first year on BritBox, with all of the UK PSBs on board and the launch of our BritBox Originals strategy with Spitting Image. Achieving half a million subscriptions in little over a year from launch puts BritBox ahead of plan and firmly establishes the service in the UK OTT market.”
Box sets of Broadchurch, Only Fools and Horses and Love Island have proved popular with subscribers. Doctor Who Classics also attracted subscribers, with the service exclusively offering around 600 episodes.
BritBox availability
Yesterday, BritBox UK announced it would be available on Amazon Prime Video Channels from later this spring. It’s a move that allows the service to become available through SkyQ and Virgin Media boxes for the first time. The Prime Video launch will make the service available in one way or another to 90% of households who stream content, in combination with other existing ways of accessing the service.