ITV has confirmed that its new streaming service, ITVX, will offer more than 9,000 hours of free content when it launches later this year.
Expected to launch before the World Cup, the service will replace the current ITV Hub app and feature a host of first-run shows, including brand-new commissions which will be available to stream months before they air on ITV’s channels.
Confirmed new commissions include cold war series A Spy Among Friends starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce and the new Russell T Davies drama Nolly about Crossroads star Noele Gordon.
ITVX will also offer a library of 250 films from major Hollywood studios as well as boxsets of US dramas and comedies, plus a line-up of curated streamed channels based around popular genres and shows such as the Inspector Morse saga, and The Chase.
The service will be free to use and will be funded by adverts.
ITV is promising a “much improved” viewing experience and, in a break from the standard definition only content available through ITV Hub, is “planning to make as much of our content as possible available in HD”.
Viewers will have the option to remove the adverts by paying a monthly subscription. This subscription tier, for which pricing has yet to be announced, will also unlock access to a further 6,000 hours of content from BritBox UK.
The UK-themed streamer, which is now fully owned by ITV, will continue to offer shows from the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5 in addition to other British studios and distributors.