British streaming wars hit US as BritBox boosts subscribers
LA TimesThe British streaming wars have taken America by storm. BritBox, the New York streaming service catering to older women who love British TV, says it now has 1 million subscribers in North America — doubling its base of customers in just 14 months. Unlike Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, which cater to general audiences, BritBox fills a niche for licensed and original British programs, including crime drama series “Vera,” “RHS Chelsea Flower Show” and the comedy “Hold the Sunset.” BritBox, which is owned by British TV network ITV and BBC Studios, attributed the surge in subscribers to the popularity of such shows as “Father Brown” as well as series like “Death in Paradise” acquired from Netflix and other streamers. “They have to be all things to all people —so who then are they for?” Executives familiar with BritBox and Acorn TV, which also caters to fans of British programs, have said both streaming services have low churn rates. The company has rolled out day and date premieres in the U.K. and U.S. for programs including “The Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special” and “Good Morning Britain.” BritBox has been expanding, offering its service in the United Kingdom in November 2019 as more consumers sign up for streaming services and cut the cord on cable.
History of this topic
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