1.4 million users now subscribe to access ITV’s streaming services online, according to latest figures from the broadcaster.
Growth in subscriber numbers during the past year came from both ITVX Premium subscribers and from standalone BritBox UK subscribers (prior to the launch of ITVX).
ITV is actively attempting to drive uptake of ITVX by making many of its new dramas available exclusively on streaming, with ITV1 due to screen shows much later. It’s also engaged in a heavy marketing campaign, with substantial amounts of airtime on some of its channels given over to promoting the streaming serrvice.
ITVX Live Streams have recently gone live on Sky Q and Apple TV.
ITVX in numbers
19,000
number of hours of content on ITVX
10.5 million
number of active users
1.4 million
number of subscribers (up 17% year-on-year)
Source: ITV annual results
Total ITVX streaming hours increased 9% to 1,139 million hours, driven by Love Island, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, and the FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, BritBox International, which operates in countries including the USA and Canada reached 3 million subscribers, a 25% year-on-year increase.
Freeview revenue
ITV also confirmed a fall in the amount of income it receives from its multiplex business SDN. SDN, operators of the COM4 multiplex earns money by selling capacity to commercial broadcasters.
ITV confirmed a number of broadcasters are coming to the end of Freeview carriage contracts signed in 2013. These will renew at lower prices, reflecting a drop in the cost of a Freeview slot. SDN earned £55 million in 2022, down from £70m in 2021. The number is expected to fall further next year.
Iain Hatton