One year after launching, the number of streaming channels on ITVX catering to fans of various ITV shows has fallen sharply.
- 20 exclusive streaming channels become 12.
- ITV retains channels dedicated to crime drama and popular quiz The Chase
- The reduction of streaming channels bucks industry trend, with Channel 5 preparing to increase competition next year.
ITVX launched last December with up 20 extra streaming-only channels, dedicated to the likes of Love Island, Hell’s Kitchen and True Crime.
But by the beginning of December 2023, this had fallen to just 12 streaming channels, known in the industry as ‘Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television’ (FAST) channels. That’s despite a wider boom in FAST channels in 2024, picking up viewers shifting online who like the familiarity of a traditional broadcast channel.
Among the remaining channels in the ITVX Live section is ITV’s ground-breaking sign-language channel ITV Signed, which became the first full-time BSL channel.
However, the cull of other streaming channels on ITVX has broadly left two groups of streaming channel: channels devoted to shows and topics of interest to older audiences and channels for ITVX’s youngest viewers.
Surviving channels include crime drama channels devoted to Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders and Vera. The ITV Classics channel is gone, but Blast From The Past continues to showcase older shows including Joe 90. And a 24/7 channel showing nothing but The Chase continues.
For ITVX’s youngest audiences, there’s the CITV replacement channel ITVX Kids, plus the Lego Universe channel.
ITVX is also currently running seasonal channel Xmas Movies for the second year running.
Reality show channels have broadly disappeared, with the exception of The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) channel.
ITVX faces FAST competition from Channel 5
2024 promises to bring viewers more online-only streaming channels.
Notably, among the main UK broadcasters, Channel 5 owner Paramount has announced plans to merge My5 and Pluto TV into one platform. Pluto TV already offers UK streamers over 100 different FAST channels. They’ll be combined with Channel 5’s regular broadcast and existing FAST channels on one platform.
The combined Paramount platform will go head-to-head with other established FAST channel platforms including LG Channels, Rakuten TV and Samsung TV Plus.
Whereas the combined My5-Pluto platform and those operated by the likes of LG, Rakuten and Samsung contain third-party channels, ITV has so far kept ITVX exclusively for FAST channels that it controls.
▶ ITVX Streaming channels: December 2022 versus December 2023
| December 2022 | December 2023 |
|---|---|
| Crime Drama | Blast from the Past |
| Classic Movies | Comedy 24/7 |
| Hell’s Kitchen | ITV Kids |
| ITV Classics | ITV Signed |
| ITV Signed | Lego Universe |
| Love Island | Midsomer Murders |
| Love Island International | Movies 24/7 |
| Loved Up | The Chase |
| Midsomer Murders | TOWIE |
| Out of this World | Vera |
| Real Housewives UK | World of Morse |
| Saturday Night Every Night | Xmas Movies |
| The Chase | |
| TOWIE | |
| True Crime International | |
| Unwind with ITV1 | |
| Vera | |
| World Cup Classics | |
| World of Morse | |
| Xmas Movies |
The above channels are in addition to ITV’s five main broadcast channels (ITV1-4 + ITVBe), which are also available on ITVX.
ITVX Live channel rollout continues
ITVX launched in December 2022 without live streaming enabled on a number of devices, including on many TVs.
However, availability has improved considerably since then. ITVX has a current list of supported devices on its website.
That’s good news for viewers, as ITV has promised to launch a part-time pop-up news channel on ITVX, which will go live during major breaking news stories.
Additionally, ITV says it will improve regional news availability on ITVX. Under the new Media Act, ITV will be able to count streaming-only regional news towards its quota of regional output. Therefore, it’s important this can reach as many devices as possible.
Marc Thornham