BritBox Strikes Freeview, Samsung, YouView Deals Ahead of U.K. Launch

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The -led “best-of-British” streamer will be available on various smart TVs and the service when it rolls out on home turf in the U.K. later this year.

BritBox already operates in North America and is set to go live in Britain around November. Commercial broadcaster ITV is the majority partner for the subscription service in the U.K., with pubcaster the BBC holding 10%.

Deals have been inked with Samsung to make BritBox available on some of its smart TVs. Consumers will also be able to access the streamer though Freeview Play-connected TVs and the YouView platform.

Streamers have increasingly looked to make themselves available via third-party platforms, with the likes of Netflix and Amazon striking deals with pay-TV outfits and telcos, as well as getting their apps embedded on manufacturers’ connected TV sets.

Owen Jenkinson, marketing director of , said: “Our viewers love great British TV, so BritBox is a fantastic addition to the Freeview line up, providing extra options to top up on the best of free TV they already enjoy via the nation’s biggest TV platform.”

Reemah Sakaan, group launch director for ITV SVOD, added: “Our fantastic partners indicate the appetite for our exciting new on-demand service. We look forward to announcing additional distribution deals in the future.”