BritBox streaming review 2021: Price, features, content

Customers say

★★★★★

Customer satisfaction

Viewers felt like they got great value for money.

Some viewers felt like the platform needed to add new content more frequently.

BritBox is a joint streaming service courtesy of the BBC and ITV. It’s available for streamers in the UK, the US, Australia and Canada and offers exclusive British shows. These include Doctor Who, Gavin & Stacey, Love Island and Spitting Image.

How do I sign up to BritBox?

Visit the BritBox site in a web browser on your desktop or mobile device. On the create account page, enter your name and email address, type your password, then click “Create Account” to proceed to the next step. Choose between a monthly or an annual subscription, then add your credit card information. You may want to select the seven-day free trial before you commit, and if so, no money will be taken from you until your free trial has ended and you have agreed to proceed.

Pros and cons

What features does BritBox offer?

Aside from offering exclusive British content that other popular streaming services don’t have in countries like Australia and the US, BritBox has a few other features.

Parental controls

Set restrictions for your kids by setting parental controls with a four-digit PIN from your account.

Newsletter

Stay up-to-date on what’s new and what’s being removed from the platform.

Watchlist

Save your place in a program or keep tabs on programs you find interesting by adding them to your watchlist.

Curated to what you like

Like most streaming services, BritBox provides selections that are similar to what you’ve watched with its “More like this” feature.

Which devices is BritBox compatible with?

The way you sign up with BritBox determines the devices you can use to watch. We’ve broken down a few ways you can sign up here and the ways you can stream it.

How much does BritBox cost?

A standard subscription costs £5.99 monthly and offers 1,000+ hours of British TV in a wide range of genres without ads. If you want to save around £12, you can opt for an annual subscription for £59.99.

Free trial

Get a seven-day free trial before you have to choose to cancel or continue with a subscription.

What can I watch with BritBox?

Scroll through a curated collection of titles in BritBox’s on-demand library, including:

What Internet speeds does BritBox recommend?

While we couldn’t find any recommended Internet speed to stream BritBox confidently, it has been noted as a rival to Netflix and offers both SD and HD titles. A rule of thumb for Netflix customers is to have an Internet connection of at least 3Mbps. Because of the titles it offers and its comparison to Netflix, BritBox might also need an Internet connection close to 3Mbps.

We found patterns of complaints on Reddit regarding buffering and connectivity issues with the BritBox app. Frustrations that their phone VPN interferes with the video quality of BritBox was also mentioned. In a response, BritBox told customers that it tends to see issues during certain times of day and on mobile devices. It suggests its best streaming is found on Amazon Prime Video.

How much data does BritBox use?

BritBox doesn’t mention the exact amount of data it uses, but check the data guidelines from your Internet provider and turn off the app when you’re not watching. Going over the standard 1Tb of data, which is the equivalent of spending 16 hours a day watching TV, isn’t possible unless you leave your app running in the background.

Frequently asked questions

• How do I take advantage of the gift subscription option?

  Give a yearly subscription as a gift for £59.99, whether or not the person you’re giving it to is already subscribed. The subscription begins when the recipient enrols, not when you buy it.

• Why can't I sign up for an annual subscription?

  Annual subscriptions aren’t available through Amazon or Apple – only monthly subscriptions. Sign up through Google Play, the iOS app store or Roku to get the annual subscription.