ITVX, the upcoming streaming service that’s set to replace ITV Hub, will launch with 9,000 free (with adverts) hours of on-demand content, including 35 flagship shows, 200+ series and 250+ films.
The details were announced by ITV today, with ITVX set to launch “just in time for FIFA World Cup”, sometime in November 2022.
Among the new shows that will only be available on ITVX (for up to six months) are old war drama A Spy Among Friends starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce, provocative new teen drama Tell Me Everything, and gripping four-part thriller Without Sin starring Vicky McClure (see the full list below).
At launch, ITVX will offer viewers a choice of new series, documentaries, cult classics and films. Many of ITV’s flagship series will launch on ITVX before they’re even available on ITV’s linear channels (when today, ITV Hub is mostly a catch-up service, with content usually going up after its original airing).
ITVX will also have a paid “premium” tier (the exact price hasn’t been announced yet), where viewers will be able to watch everything without adverts.
The premium tier will also include 6,000 hours of content from BritBox – which, as we reported before, is going to be folded into ITVX.
What Is ITVX?
ITVX is the upcoming replacement to ITV’s long-running streaming app, ITV Hub.
ITVX signals ITV’s new “digital-first” approach (something the BBC is also pursuing). ITVX will have a total of 15,000 hours of content, including BritBox’s titles (compared to 4,000 on ITV Hub), and new shows will launch on the service every week, often months before their broadcast on ITV’s linear channels.
According to ITV, the move from ITV Hub to ITVX is “a move from a catch-up service to a full-blown streaming service” – something that will try and compete with the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon’s Prime Video.
ITV Hub is currently available on almost every streaming device sold in the UK, as well as on Freeview Play devices.
The plan is for ITVX to replace the ITV Hub app wherever it is currently available – so on Smart TVs, streaming devices like the Roku and Fire TV, Freeview Play recorders, mobile phones, tablets and more.
One important addition is Sky Q: currently, it doesn’t have the full ITV Hub app, but according to ITV, the intention is for ITVX to be available on Sky Q at launch (it’s likely at this point that ITV Hub will never be added to Sky Q, with the company focusing on bringing ITVX to Sky’s set-top box).
Sky Glass, the streaming TV from Sky, already has the full ITV Hub app – so will presumably have ITVX at launch as well. It’s also likely that Virgin Media’s new Stream box will get the ITVX app at launch as well.
ITVX Content: Films, Originals And Hit American Shows
ITVX will include a mix of classic British shows from ITV’s archives, classic and newer blockbuster films, as well as exclusive original productions.
At least one flagship show will launch on ITVX per week, including:
- Russell T Davies’ Nolly starring Helena Bonham Carter
- Powerful period drama The Confessions of Frannie Langton starring Karla-Simone Spence, Sophie Cookson and Patrick Martins
- Litvinenko starring David Tennant and Mark Bonnar
Full Series Drops
In addition to 35 flagship shows premiering and streaming exclusively on ITVX, the service will also be launching full series’ of upcoming ITV shows on their first day of broadcast, allowing viewers to binge-watch.
Early examples will include real-life drama Stonehouse starring Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes and the new series of Unforgotten.
These series are in addition to the vast library of over 200 both recent and classic US and UK dramas, comedies and reality shows that will be available to users.
We already know that ITV signed a content deal with WarnerMedia, that will bring UK premieres of The Sex Lives of College Girls and All American, along with back-library shows such as The OC, One Tree Hill and more.
Films
ITVX will launch with the UK’s largest free film library featuring the likes of Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Daniel Day Lewis, Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Lawrence, Sir Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins and even The Muppets.
Documentaries
ITVX will also launch with an array of documentaries, including a dedicated true crime collection. This will feature over 150 hours of nail-biting viewing including Monster in My Family, which delves into the lives of serial killers in a way that’s rarely seen.
The Case Against Cosby, a premium documentary exposing new truths about accusations against the comedian, will follow in 2023.
Science Fiction and Fantasy
ITVX will feature a robust science fiction and fantasy offering ranging from classics including Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Terrahawks, Joe 90, Stingray, Space 1999 and UFO, to the likes of Supernatural, The 100 and Nikita, and classics in the making including Astrid & Lilly Save the World and Korean-American hit series Dramaworld.
BritBox Content
Paying subscribers who sign up for ITVX’s premium tier will also get 6,000 hours of classic British content from BritBox.
Some of BritBox’s content highlights, from the archives of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, include 600+ episodes of the classic Doctor Who as well as a long list of classic British series and films.
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