BritBox preps Christmas near-simulcasts

Dickensian aired on BBC1 last year

BBC Worldwide (BBCWW) and ITV’s US SVoD service BritBox is preparing to offer near-simulcast programming as part of its Christmas period plans.

BritBox, which is headed by Soumya Sriraman and has AMC Networks onboard as a minority partner, will stream The Queen’s Message on Christmas Day and music show Carols From Kings on Christmas Eve, just after their UK broadcast.

The shows will be part of BritBox’s BritMas Christmas slate, which will offer more than 100 holiday-themed specials and events, including episodes of UK series The Office, Only Fools & Horses and Upstairs Downstairs.

The SVoD service will also offer series including Mum, Inside No 9 and QI to subscribers, as well as the BritBox premiere of Dickensian, which aired on BBC1 last year.

BritBox will also offer the Christmas Day special episodes for BBC soap opera EastEnders and ITV equivalent Coronation Street, along with comedy Upstart Crow.

BBCWW and ITV unveiled BritBox in December last year, with the service providing US premieres of dramas including New Blood and In the Dark, historical dramas Tutankhamun and The Moonstone, and season premieres of Cold Feet and Silent Witness.

BritBox’s Now category includes a selection of soaps and series that will be available as soon as 24 hours after their UK broadcast, including EastEnders, Emmerdale and Holby City.