Netflix is probably going to have another rival very soon. The BBC is looking quite determined with its plans for a subscription streaming service to compete with other streaming services like Amazon and Netflix. The BBC’s new subscription streaming service has an attractive name: “Britflix.”
How the BBC plans to compete with Netflix
After getting permission from the U.K. government, the broadcasting corporation and its commercial rival ITV are working together on a Brit-centric service, according to The Telegraph. Last week, a series of proposals in respect to the BBC’s mid-term future were unveiled, including a suggestion that in the coming time, it will develop “some form of additional subscription services” as a means of generating more revenue.
The BBC is already working on the technology and a catalog to make Britflix a worthy option even when the product is still early in the development process. The service would be delivered via BBC iPlayer, reported The Telegraph. BBC iPlayer is being used currently for Hulu-esque catch-up viewing and live-streaming.
John Whittingdale, the U.K.’s culture secretary, told The Telegraph that they are moving into a different world where more and more content is going to be made available on demand.
“Collaboration with other broadcasters and other production companies we think is important. If they want to explore that kind of thing, we’d encourage them,” said Whittingdale.
What about the content?
With the help of several production company partners, original content would be made available, while both the BBC and ITV will make their archive content available using the service. The BBC is also said to be in talks with NBCUniversal. The large catalog will probably provide much of the initial draw, but this is just the beginning. Britflix would ultimately produce its own original content, and that content will be similar to content from other streaming services like Hulu, Amazon and Netflix.
It is still uncertain what this new streaming service would mean for the availability of shows such as Happy Valley and Downton Abbey. These shows have already been licensed and distributed by other streaming services. Happy Valley is licensed and distributed by Netflix, while Downton Abbey is distributed by Amazon.
The BBC has not announced publicly anything yet, and this raises many questions about the streaming service, like whether it will be available in the U.K. only and what will be done about the BBC shows that are currently available on other streaming services.
