BritBox UK chief to step down ahead of ITVX launch

Crime

BritBox UK’s chief Will Harrison is stepping down as the UK streamer prepares to be folded into ITV’s new SVOD/AVOD service, ITVX.

The former Warner Bros. and Ingenuous Media exec joined BritBox in 2019 following it launchs, with the streamer now claiming almost 750,000 subscribers.

However, parent company ITV – which has bought out the BBC’s 10% stake in the UK version of BritBox – revealed last week it would be folding the service into its new ITVX streamer, set to launch later this year.

BritBox’s UK offering, which offers shows such as Spitting Image and Irvine Welsh’s Crime, will remain as a brand on ITVX but not as a standalone streaming service.

Its operations will fall under the remit of Rufus Radcliffe, ITV’s MD of streaming.

He said: “Will has played an outstanding role building up BritBox’s strong UK subscriber base. As the service moves into the next phase of its evolution as part of ITVX, Will has chosen to explore new opportunities and we wish him every success in the future.”

ITVX will offer both an ad-supported and SVOD offering, while also debuting much of its new content months ahead of its linear channels.

The launch of the new platform will replace ITV’s existing free streaming service, ITV Hub, later this year. ITV Hub currently has 4,000 hours of content while ITVX is expected to have around 15,000 hours at launch.