From being ITV‘s Catch-Up platform to a complete streaming service, ITVX is the OTT of the British commercial network that was relaunched on the market more than a year ago with a view to diversifying its content offering and becoming more relevant to the competitive streaming market.
The service had a successful first year: over 2.7 billion streams since launch. More than 40 million registered users. 88% or viewers who watch a premiere go on to watch other content. 1 billion streaming hours. Likewise, programs such as Love Island, The Rugby World Cup, and Big Brother stood out as the content with the most views on the service.
‘Our image in the UK is between a public network and a commercial channel, because we precisely promote what is so scarce in streaming: original local content,’ commented Ross Appleton, director of operations, streaming at ITV, who referred in a recent conference from Dataxis, about ITVX‘s first anniversary in the market.
The service, which was previously called ITV Hub, boasts of being a space where on-demand content coexists, complementary content to ITV‘s linear signals, but also the place where the company’s FAST channel offering is housed, which also Of its 15 channels in various genres, 12 channels with regional news and ITVX Kids were recently added, which will be enhanced with classics and new content.
One of the additions expected to the service this year is to improve its advertising-based interface, which will include greater customization and shorter commercials.
The company has diversified its content acquisition and purchase strategy, and in some cases it is more than an acquisition, being an alliance where both players benefit. Appleton mentioned that some of these partnerships have allowed ITVX to be the home of content from CBS or AMC, allowing it to have a window into the service’s interface. ‘We have done very well with this business model, since it is very flexible and allows a lot of exposure.’
Regarding the recent sale of ITV‘s stake in BritBox to the BBC, Appleton recalled that the company has always worked together with other public broadcasters, and that although its current focus is on strengthening its internal unit, they do not rule out that in the future The ITVX interface can include other sister OTTs.
ITVX is filled with 20 thousand hours of commissioned and acquired UK and US series, single episode shows, and films across all genres. From short form to FAST channels and everything in between, as well as exclusives dropping every week. And that breadth of content is getting through to viewers – awareness of ITVX in April was 85% amongst all adults and 90% amongst our target lighter viewers.
In the first quarter of 2023 alone, ITVX has helped ITV deliver a 49% increase in streaming hours and over a quarter of ITVX‘s streaming hours are by 16-34s. Alongside Love Island, 16-34s have been catching up on some ITV classics on ITVX, with 25% of Broadchurch’s streaming hours from 16-34s, 35% of Bad Girls and 37% of Footballers Wives. American boxsets have also proven popular, with 47% of The O.C.‘s streaming hours from 16-34s, 52% of The Vampire Diaries and 59% of One Tree Hill.
