The BBC and ITV are to launch a Netflix-style TV service, called BritBox, which will initially target the US market.

The broadcasters, which have been investigating launching a “best of British” on-demand service since at least March, intend to offer a mix of dramas including Tutankhamun, Cold Feet and Silent Witness as well as soaps such as EastEnders and Emmerdale.



The broadcasters said that the pricing of the subscription service, which will be ad-free, will be revealed at its launch in the first quarter next year.



Netflix, which has more than 46 million paying subscribers in the US, charges from $8 (£6.28) to $12 a month for its various packages.



“BritBox will be the best and most comprehensive British streaming service in the US,” said Simon Pitts, managing director of online, pay TV and interactive at ITV. He said the service would include “a rich catalogue of classic, new and exclusive shows easily accessible to US viewers in one place”.



The service will offer a “now” category that will screen soaps and some series just 24 hours after airing in the UK. There will also be drama premieres of shows never seen in the US.

A classics section will feature oldies including Brideshead Revisited, Pride and Prejudice, Upstairs Downstairs, Fawlty Towers and Keeping Up Appearances.



The ambition is to launch the service in other international markets, including the UK.



According to one source, BritBox will not replace either the BBC iPlayer or ITV Player services in the UK. Instead, it will offer a subscription service primarily for “box set” content of shows that have moved out of the 30-day catchup window of iPlayer and ITV Player.



It is not thought that rivals such as Channel 4 and Channel 5 will join the UK service.



ITV and BBC Worldwide have also partnered with US cable broadcaster AMC Networks, maker of hit shows including Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead, which will take a minority stake in BritBox but will not have any voting rights.



It is also known that the broadcasters held talks with NBC Universal, owner of the producer of shows including Downton Abbey.



AMC Networks jointly owns US cable channel BBC America with BBC Worldwide.



Last July, the BBC scrapped the global version of its iPlayer service, which charged users subscription fees to watch programmes via an app in western Europe, Australia and Canada.



In 2007, ITV, BBC Worldwide and Channel 4 joined forces to attempt to launch an online TV service, the ill-fated Project Kangaroo.



The project was scrapped after competition regulators blocked its development, deeming it was too much of a threat to competition in the then-nascent UK video-on-demand market.

