End Of An Era: BritBox UK Leaving Amazon’s Prime Video

The curtain is finally and truly closing on BritBox UK, as today ITV announced that BritBox is set to vanish from Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, along with its standalone app shutting down soon.

This move amplifies the end of the road for BritBox UK as we know it, pushing subscribers towards ITV’s broader platform, ITVX, in a bid to streamline and enhance the British streaming experience.

However, this transition brings to light a pressing issue for a segment of the audience: viewers using older devices that don’t support ITVX, were reliant on BritBox via Prime Video for their British TV fix. Now, they will face compatibility challenges.

Here’s everything you need to know about BritBox’s final days as a standalone service in the UK.

• Update: Somewhat unexpectedly, BritBox was cut off from Prime Video ahead of schedule. 
• Update 2: We now know the final date for BritBox on Prime Video, and how refunds will be handled. 

The Evolution and Conclusion of BritBox UK

BritBox UK’s journey began in 2019 as a collaborative effort between the BBC and ITV, aiming to create a unique space for the best of British television.

It offered a blend of classic British shows and new, exclusive content. At its peak, BritBox housed a comprehensive collection of classic British television shows, alongside new and exclusive content, such as Magpie Murders, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, new seasons of Spitting Image and more.

In the US and other countries, there’s an international version of BritBox, which is quite different from the localised version of BritBox available in the UK.

The BBC eventually sold its shares in the UK service to ITV, which became the sole owner of BritBox UK (and this month, ITV sold its shares of BritBox International to the BBC. Yes, it’s a bit confusing).

Since its launch, BritBox’s subscription price has been £5.99/month or £59.99/year. It was available both as a standalone app/service and as part of Amazon’s Prime Video Channels.

However, with the introduction of ITVX in December 2022, a new direction was charted.

The Rise of ITVX

The launch of ITVX in December 2022 marked a significant milestone in the evolution of ITV’s digital strategy, aiming to redefine the viewing experience for its British audiences.

Built as a response to the competitive streaming landscape, dominated by international giants like Netflix and Disney+, ITVX emerged not just as a rebranding of the ITV Hub but as a comprehensive overhaul designed to meet the changing demands of viewers.

With its introduction, ITVX set out to offer a mix of free, ad-supported content alongside a premium, ad-free option, distinguishing itself with a vast library that spans across genres and eras.

The ITVX Premium tier, which costs £5.99/month (the same as BritBox), removes adverts from most of the content and adds BritBox’s content libraries, as well as selections from Studio Canal Presents.

The transition to ITVX also represented a strategic move to consolidate ITV’s digital offerings.

By gradually integrating BritBox into ITVX Premium, ITV aimed to simplify its streaming services, providing viewers with a single destination for a wide range of British content. 

Today, ITV announced that ITVX has over 40 million registered users.

The Upcoming Removal of BritBox from Prime Video Channels

Last month, we reported that BritBox UK is set to shut down its standalone app and website.

This means that from April 30, 2024, BritBox will only be available via ITVX, and the standalone streaming apps on devices such as Fire TV, Roku and Smart TVs will cease to function.

At the time, the future of BritBox’s Amazon Prime Video Channel was unclear, but today, ITV sealed the channel’s fate and confirmed that BritBox UK is also set to be removed from Amazon’s Prime Video Channels.

ITV’s CEO, Carolyn McCall, outlined the rationale behind this significant shift, stating, “In 2024, the BritBox UK service on Amazon Prime Video Channels and the BritBox UK standalone app will close as we further simplify our offering.

“This will consolidate all our subscribers under one ITVX Premium brand and will give us complete ownership of the subscriber base. The closure of these services is expected to impact subscriber numbers and subscription revenues in 2024.”

Prime Video Channels are an add-on subscription service available to Amazon Prime members, allowing them to customize their viewing experience by adding a variety of premium and niche channels to their existing Prime Video subscription.

This platform offers a centralized location for accessing content from multiple providers, including everything from Paramount+ and Discovery+ to smaller, specialized channels, all under one single Amazon bill.

The removal of BritBox from Prime Video Channels is a significant development for subscribers who have relied on this service as a convenient way to access BritBox’s rich library.

In addition to the upcoming closure of BritBox UK’s Prime Video Channel, ITV has also recently discontinued its ITV Catchup service on Amazon’s Prime Video Channels.

This service, which allowed viewers to access ITV’s content without adverts on older devices through Prime Video, was also axed as part of ITV’s efforts to streamline its digital offerings and encourage viewers to migrate to ITVX. 

We reached out to ITV to confirm a date for BritBox’s removal from Prime Video Channels.

While they could only confirm that it would occur in Q2, 2024, the standalone service’s closure on April 30, 2024, suggests a similar timeline for its departure from Prime Video.

However, it’s important to note that the exact date may vary, and it’s not necessarily tied to the standalone app’s shutdown.

This transition period may offer subscribers a brief window to continue accessing BritBox content via Prime Video Channels before fully migrating to ITVX Premium.

Older Devices Losing Access to BritBox

The upcoming removal of BritBox from Amazon’s Prime Video Channels and the closure of its standalone app pose a significant challenge for viewers using older devices.

The transition from ITV Hub to ITVX has not been seamless for all users, particularly those with older devices.

As ITV upgraded its streaming service to the more advanced and content-rich ITVX, a significant number of older devices lost compatibility with ITV’s streaming technology.

This shift rendered the service inaccessible on certain older models of Smart TVs, set-top boxes, and other streaming devices. Notably, some Humax Freeview and Freesat boxes, along with specific models of Samsung Smart TVs, Panasonic Smart TVs, and others, were unable to support the new ITVX app.

This loss of support for ITV Hub and the subsequent incompatibility with ITVX left viewers who relied on these older devices in a difficult position.

BritBox on Prime Video Channels had served as a lifeline for some of these users, offering a way to access ITV’s content without the need for the ITVX app since Prime Video was more widely compatible (though again, not for all – the Humax devices, for example, did not support Prime Video either).

Similarly, ITVX also doesn’t work on some older iPhones and iPads – where the Prime Video workaround was also useful for BritBox viewers.

With BritBox removed from Prime Video Channels, this workaround will no longer be available, exacerbating the issue for those affected.

Without this channel, they must look for alternative ways to access ITV’s programming, which might include upgrading to newer, compatible streaming devices.

Will BritBox Subscribers Get A Refund?

For subscribers concerned about the fate of their BritBox UK subscription, ITV has outlined its approach to refunds.

Subscribers who purchased BritBox directly, or through iTunes, Roku, Google, BT, or EE and have an active account at the time of the service’s closure will see their accounts closed.

Those with annual subscriptions will receive a refund for any unused months, credited back to their original payment method.

Meanwhile, following the cessation of new subscriptions, Amazon Prime Video subscribers will either receive a refund or possibly be allowed to continue their subscription until the end of their 30-day billing cycle – we’re hoping to get more details from Amazon soon.

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