Streaming News South Africa

BBC streaming service BritBox to launch in SA

BBC Studios and ITV's joint streaming venture BritBox will launch in South Africa in the second half of 2021, expanding into its fifth worldwide territory, following successful launches in the US and Canada, the UK and, most recently, Australia.

Last year, the ad-free subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service announced a global roll out plan which would see the platform active in up to 25 new countries.

Both BBC and ITV have a strong existing relationship with South African TV audiences, with a high demand for British content already witnessed through channels ITV Choice and BBC First; the launch of BritBox in South Africa will enable viewers to continue watching their favourite British dramas following the recent closure of both TV channels.

BritBox first launched in North America in March 2017, and has since reached over 1.5m subscribers. In the UK, BritBox launched in November 2019, followed by Australia in November 2020.

Operating as a 50/50 venture between BBC Studios and ITV, the South Africa service will use the teams and technology behind the successful launches of BritBox in its existing territories.

Martin Goswami, Group Strategic Partnership and Distribution director at ITV, said, “The launch of BritBox in South Africa is yet 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.”

Paul Dempsey, President of Global Distribution at BBC Studios, added, “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.”

To keep up-to-date on BritBox South Africa news, visit www.britbox.co.za.

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