Move aside Netflix, NOW TV and Amazon Prime! BBC and ITV's brand new streaming service, BritBox, has officially launched, and has announced that Channel 4 and Film4 will also be joining the channel, bringing over a thousand hours of footage to the new subscription service – but will you be signing up? The service has been described as "the biggest collection of British box-sets available in one place", and will include brand new original shows as well as classic British television, including shows such as Downton Abbey, Broadchurch and Poirot, along with fan favourites like The Great British Bake Off and Love Island.
WATCH: Everything you need to know about BritBox
The service will cost £5.99 a month, and is currently in testing mode, with the official version to be released in 2020. Users will be able to choose shows and films that they want to watch based on famous names, and the service will also include recommendations from stars including Sheridan Smith, James Nesbitt, Imelda Staunton and Samson Kayo. The streaming service will also release dramas exclusively available on the show, with Lambs of God being the first to premiere on the service.
Will you subscribe to BritBox?
Speaking about the release, the CEO of Channel 4, Alex Mahon, said: "Channel 4 has always showcased distinctive and diverse British content and, in a world of almost unlimited choice, our public service brand values are more important than ever for viewers. The opportunity to collaborate as PSBs on BritBox extends our track record of partnership and will ensure there is a compelling single destination for the very best high quality, home-grown content."
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There has been a mixed reaction to BritBox's release, with one person tweeting: "#BritBox = the British TV networks who force us to pay a TV licences, forcing us to double pay for content which should already be FREE." Another added: "#BritBox might not have the budget of the other streamers for original content but what it does have - as with Disney Plus - is a clear identity through its back catalogue/properties, rather than having to start from scratch like Apple."
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