BritBox, the British streaming service operated by BBC Studios and ITV, will launch in South Africa in the second half of this year. The two companies announced that South Africa is the fifth region in the world that the streaming service has expanded to, following the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
BritBox operates similarly to services like Netflix, charging customers a monthly subscription for an ad-free streaming service with a wide selection of content.
“Last year BritBox announced a global roll-out plan which would see the platform active in up to 25 new countries, bringing audiences an unrivalled collection of great British TV shows and the very best in British box sets, drama premieres and live events, as well as new and exclusive original commissions,” the BBC and ITV said.
BritBox was first launched in North America in March 2017 and it has since reached over 1.5 million subscribers. ITV Group Strategic Partnership and Distribution Director Martin Goswami said the launch of BritBox in South Africa is another step in the platform’s trajectory towards international expansion.
“We’re delighted to bring the service to a brand new territory and continue towards establishing BritBox as a premium VOD brand across the world,” Goswami said.
BBC Studios president of global distribution Paul Dempsey noted the affection held by South Africans for British television. We know that South African audiences have a real connection to British television and we can’t wait to bring them even more great shows, on-demand, that we know they will love,” he said.
There is currently no official pricing or launch date for the BritBox streaming service, but interested South Africans can sign up for notifications on the BritBox website. In the United Kingdom, the service costs £5.99 per month, which is equivalent to around R120 at the time of writing.
Content in South Africa
The catalogue of content that will be available in South Africa has not yet been confirmed.
However, the BritBox website does include a preview of some of the shows that will likely be accessible on the streaming platform locally.
“BritBox will bring South Africans an unrivalled collection of British TV, from beloved classics to the biggest shows direct from the BBC and ITV,” the website states. Binge on complete seasons of your favourites or discover something new to watch from thousands of hours of brilliant British Dramas, Comedies, Documentaries, Lifestyle shows, and more.”
The website includes a scrolling reel of show posters that the page states are a good indication of the content coming to the South African version of the platform.
This includes the following shows:
The Voice UK
Poldark
The Office UK
The Chase
Doctor Who
Blackadder
Fawlty Towers
Father Brown
Line of Duty
Inspector Morse
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Source: mybroadband
