BBC and ITV to launch BritBox television streaming

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The BBC and ITV, Britain's biggest television broadcasters, on Wednesday announced plans for a streaming service BritBox, faced with growing competition for viewers from online giants such as Netflix.

Netflix is eating into the market share of traditional broadcasters as viewers increasingly abandon established channels in the hope that shows will be available immediately on streaming services, the Guardian reported.

"The BBC and ITV are in the concluding phase of talks to establish a strategic partnership to bring an exciting new streaming service to UK audiences," a statement said.

According to the Guardian, BritBox will feature shows from the BBC and ITV, as well as new British commissioned programs for the service. There were no details on pricing, but the statement said it would be "competitive."

"The BBC and ITV anticipate that other partners will be added to BritBox and both will speak to regulators and the wider industry about their proposals," the statement added.

The BBC, Britain's mainly state-funded broadcaster, and London-listed ITV said they hoped to launch the service in the second half of 2019.

Source(s): AFP