BBC boss Tony Hall has addressed viewers’ concerns over the upcoming streaming service BritBox, and whether it means that they’ll have to pay twice to watch the shows they love.
Last week, it was revealed that the BBC and ITV were teaming up to offer their shows on a new streaming service BritBox, suggested as a rival to the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime.
However, while some were excited at the prospect, others questioned whether it would mean they’d have to essentially pay twice to watch BBC content, having already had to pay once for the licence fee, and a second time for a BritBox subscription.
Addressing the subject, Tony admitted he “doesn’t see [people’s] point… about paying twice”, saying: “You are paying once, we hope for a much longer window and more content than ever before, on demand whenever you want it and a more personalised service.
“And then, as you have done with DVDs or with paid channels in the past, you have to pay a little extra for that. I think people understand that model.”
Tony had previously described the upcoming platform as “a new streaming service delivering the best home-grown content to the public who love it best”.
He added: “The service will have everything from old favourites to recent shows and brand new commissions. It’s an exciting time for the viewing public.”
ITV’s chief executive Carolyn McCall agreed: “BritBox will be the home for the best of British creativity – celebrating the best of the past, the best of today and investing in new British originated content in the future.”
The BBC and ITV are yet to announce how much subscribers will have to pay, but prices have been described as “competitive”.
Following the announcement, the broadcasters will next discuss the plans with regulator Ofcom, who said they “want to see broadcasters collaborating to keep pace with global players, offering quality UK content that’s available to viewers whenever and however they want to watch it.”
Britbox has already enjoyed success across the pond, where it has gathered half a million subscribers in North America.