If you're in the UK you might have heard of BritBox - it's a subscription video streaming service, originally created by UK broadcasters BBC and ITV. However, it is now entirely operated by ITV and is part of the ITVX streaming service.

It is available to try for free for 7-days as part of an ITVX Premium subscription and can be viewed across multiple devices, including iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, Xbox consoles, Sky devices, Virgin Media, and smart TVs from Samsung.

Here we explain everything there is to know about BritBox, including how it works, how much it costs, and the connection with ITVX.

What is BritBox?

The BBC and ITV partnered to bring BritBox to the UK in late November 2019.

It launched as an original, paid-for, streaming service available on multiple devices, much like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.

However, after acquiring sole ownership of the brand in the UK, ITV since incorporated it into its ITVX streaming service as one of the benefits of a Premium subscription. The BritBox app is still available for existing subscribers, but all newcomers must sign up through ITVX now.

In terms of content, the service hosts the "biggest collection of British content on any streaming service". This is mainly iconic box sets from the archives of ITV and the BBC, plus classic British films.

BritBox shows

BritBox claims to host the largest amount of British box sets of any streaming service - more than 300 different titles from the Beeb, ITV, Channel 4, Film4 and Channel 5. It's not yet known whether the latter channels will be supported going forward, considering the platform's new home is ITVX.

Included among the series on offer are Cracker, Downton Abbey, Broadchurch, Spooks, Only Fools and Horses, and many more.

The entirety of Doctor Who, from 1963 to 1989, is also available - covering every available episode featuring the first eight Doctors. And, if you want a real slice of nostalgia, all of Grange Hill is there too.

There are also many classic British movies, including Carry On films, The Ipcress File and Hitchcock thrillers.

The service did include new, original programming, such as Spitting Image. But, with the move to ITVX, it is likely that anything new will be branded differently going forward.

What devices will BritBox work on?

The BritBox app is available on the following devices and continues to work:

However, if you are a new subscriber, you will need to install and watch the same programming through the ITVX app instead. It is available on the following:

How much does BritBox cost?

BritBox costs current subscribers £5.99 per month for HD video across "multiple screens and devices". However, for the exact same price you can pay for an ITX Premium subscription which not only gives you all the BritBox content, but also ad-free access to all on demand and catch-up content from ITV, offline viewing, and many new shows before they are broadcast on TV.

BritBox free trial

If you are new to BritBox or ITVX Premium, you can get a 7-day trial period for free before the first payment is due. Find out more on the official websites: britbox.co.uk or itv.com.

Is BritBox UK the same as BritBox US?

BritBox has been available in the US and Canada for years, but it's not the same service.

Also a venture of the BBC and ITV, the North American BritBox was launched in March 2017.

It is different in that it is simply a portal for British programming, with a smaller selection of archive and recent shows available on demand. There is no original programming on the BritBox US proposition.

Haven't the BBC and ITV done this before?

The BritBox concept was first explored by the BBC and ITV, along with original partner Channel 4, in 2008 under the name Project Kangaroo.

That was to be a subscription-based streaming service for box sets from the three broadcasters, but it was turned down by the competition commission at the time as it "would restrict competition in the supply of video on demand (VOD) services in the UK".

The project was eventually killed in 2009 after tweaks to the concept were also rejected.

Instead, the UK video on demand market is now largely dominated by American services.