BBC launches Netflix-style service for box sets
THE BBC is to launch a British rival to Netflix, asking licence fee payers to stump up an extra monthly fee if they wish to watch old shows.
Britbox, a joint venture with ITV, will be a streaming service available for a monthly subscription.
It will include thousands of hours of television from the archives plus more recent programmes that will be made available once they have expired from iplayer or ITV’S catch-up service.
However, there have been complaints that it will be an additional cost for those who pay nearly £13 a month for the licence fee and may also have subscriptions to other services.
The pricing has not been announced but will be “competitive”, expected to cost around £5.99 per month – close to the entry-level Netflix fee.
The launch means that the two British broadcasters will begin withdrawing their content from Netflix, where viewers are currently able to watch series of Luther, Sherlock, Doctor Who and Love Island, plus many others.
Lord Hall, the BBC director-general, described Britbox as “something truly special” that would deliver “the best home-grown content to the public who love it best. The service will have everything from old favourites to recent shows and brand new commissions. It’s an exciting time for the viewing public”.
However, Mark Pocock, of the consumer site Broadband Choices, said: “The BBC is still charging people for a TV licence, an issue that has become a talking point in the face of rival services that, on paper, offer what they need. Can they really start charging people extra to pay for the streaming service without triggering an exodus?”
Tom Harrington, of media analysts Enders, said: “The major problem is a perceptual one: a lot of people feel they have already paid for this content through the licence fee.
“That is not the case – the licence fee pays for broadcast and what is currently a 30-day catch-up service. But getting over that perception is going to be quite difficult, especially when iplayer exists.”
Carolyn Mccall, ITV’S chief executive, said Britbox would be “complementary to Netflix” and not a substitute. Both broadcasters insist there is growing demand
But Mr Harrington said: “Some people have Netflix and Amazon [Prime], but use Amazon mostly for the shopping. Are they really going to get a third service when they already have one they don’t use very often?”
Britbox will also produce original content, with ITV investing up to £25million this year. The BBC declined to give figures until nearer the launch, but said no licence fee funding would be involved. But those figures are a drop in the ocean compared with Netflix’s £8billion content budget.
Mr Harrington said that £25million “is equivalent to about three episode of for more streaming services. The Crown”. It is thought that the BBC will continue to let episodes of classics such as Dad’s Army and Only Fools and Horses be aired on UKTV channels.
Old ITV shows including Rising Damp and Minder will continue to be shown on ITV3 and ITV4, but the broadcaster expects to make entire series available as box sets on the streaming service.
One problem they may face is that some dramas and factual series are made by independent production companies, who will now face a choice over whether to air their shows on Britbox or a rival streaming service.