The Trouble With BritBox, Britain’s New Weapon In The Streaming Wars

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

If you needed reminding why Britain’s biggest broadcasters are stacking their eggs in a BritBox-shaped basket, then look no further than ITV’s third-quarter earnings this week. Tucked away in a table was a figure not mentioned elsewhere in the press release: the revelation that ITV’s total viewing hours fell by 700M in the nine months to September — a trend that has got more acute as the year has gone on.

Spiraling viewing is true at all the major British broadcasters, with people watching 50 fewer minutes of traditional TV a day than they did in 2010, according to Ofcom. At the same time, growth in streaming is exploding, and nearly half of UK households are now signed up to at least one service.

https://deadline.com/2019/11/the-problems-with-britbox-1202785915/

Its in competition against Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Apple TV+ for viewers

 

[FreddyE1977]

How much longer can the Annual Television Licence Fee survive streaming?

 

[BMR]

How much longer can the Annual Television Licence Fee survive streaming?

Good question. But people are still tuning in to the traditional broadcasters in big numbers for big events ranging from the rugby world cup to the X Factor. In a couple of weeks millions will watch election results. Next year millions more will tune into the Olympics.

Giving up the licence means no live channels at all. No BBC, no ITV, no live news, no live sports. So far only a minority seem willing to do that.

The other possibility is that the government will simply replace the licence fee with a straight up per household charge. I believe several European countries have done that already.

Both main parties seem to broadly support the BBC so I don't see the fee going anywhere soon.