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BBCWW, ITV name BritBox boss

A BBC Worldwide (BBCWW) exec has been appointed to oversee the forthcoming US SVoD service BritBox, which is being launched by the commercial arm of the BBC and UK broadcaster ITV.

Soumya Sriraman

Soumya Sriraman has been appointed president of Britbox, North America, effective immediately. She was most recently exec VP of franchise and digital enterprises at BBCWW North America and takes over with Britbox poised to launch later this quarter.

Sriraman will be responsible for the overall strategy and operation of BritBox, which is focused on bringing the best British content to the service through acquisitions, licensing, coproductions and key partnerships, with an emphasis on reach, engagement and retention.

She previously expanded brand platforms and oversaw distribution outlets for BBCWW while working on brands including Doctor Who and BBC Earth. Prior to that, she was CEO of UK- and US-based film distributor Palisades Tartan. Her BBCWW replacement will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Soumya has an outstanding historical knowledge of and familiarity with British content. This, coupled with her creativity and excellent business acumen, makes her the ideal executive to fill this role,” said Ann Sarnoff, president of BBCWW North America.

Simon Pitts, ITV MD of online, pay TV and interactive, added: “BritBox is a very exciting development for fans of British TV and is a natural next step in ITV’s growth as a global production and distribution business.”

BBCWW and ITV unveiled Britbox in December, with AMC Networks also investing in the service with a non-voting minority interest.

BBCWW and ITV share an equal majority stake in the joint venture, which will feature 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 will include 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.

There will also be a British classics collection from ITV and the BBC, featuring period dramas Brideshead Revisited, Pride & Prejudice and Upstairs Downstairs; political thriller State of Play; murder-mystery series Inspector Morse and Rosemary & Thyme; and sitcoms Keeping Up Appearances and Fawlty Towers.

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