Netflix is currently the most popular streaming service in United Kingdom with huge number of users, but there is another TV and movie streaming service that is quickly catching up to it.
This second major streaming service is called BritBox, which is a joint venture between British commercial network ITV and British cable company BBC Worldwide, allowing subscribers access to over 2,500 hours of programming showcasing the best of British television across seven decades through both past and present series.
It’s not surprising, then, that many people are asking themselves the question: Is Britbox better than Netflix?
This is the question that I aim to answer today.
To begin with, let’s start with a brief look at the history of both services and what led to their creation.
Netflix began in 1997 as a DVD-by-mail service before transitioning to streaming media in 2007 and recently expanded into online production with series like House of Cards, Stranger Things, Narcos, Making a Murderer, Master of None (season one only), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Bloodline (season three only), Luke Cage. This year, it will be premiering new seasons of Jessica Jones and The Punisher too.
About BritBox
Meanwhile, BritBox was created by ITV and BBC Worldwide in 2016 after ITV bought exclusive rights from Sony Pictures Entertainment to broadcast classic content from its catalog through 2018 on free digital terrestrial television via its subsidiary company, ITV plc.
This means that you can watch select episodes of classic British TV titles for free on your digital television at home without having to subscribe to the service itself.
Differences Between BritBox & Netflix
As Netflix has become more popular, the best show selection is becoming less of a reason to subscribe. Britbox and Acorn TV may be on to something. They both know their audience and offer shows that people want to watch.
While we love Netflix, we can’t help but think that there is some room for improvement about its content. That’s where other services like Britbox come in. That said, users also complain of Britbox non-working issues.
Hence, we decided to put them head-to-head and see which service delivers the best content for their users (don’t worry, if you don’t have time for this research, we’ve done it all! – check out our product reviews here).
Major Differences:
Number of Shows and Original Content:
Both services have a pretty decent number of titles available to subscribers, with Britbox faring slightly better. However, what puts this service over the top is that many of them come from original productions, and show availability is often much wider than on Netflix.
Price:
Netflix starts at $7.99/month while Acorn TV and Britbox start at just $5.99/month (prices vary depending on location). If you ask us, we’ll take original content over quantity any day – however, it’s advantageous to use both services if possible!
Device Availability:
British and American viewers can watch shows in real-time when using either service which makes it easy to stay up-to-date on shows. However, we recommend Britbox for those who prefer to use streaming devices like Apple TV and Roku.
Content:
Netflix has more American content than British, but this is reversed on the other services.
We do wish that there was a larger variety of shows available, not just British-centric ones; if you’re looking for more diversity in your content then both Netflix and Acorn TV would be better choices (although they both have their issues).
Content Variety:
Much like our thoughts on having enough shows available to choose from such as Narcos, Gilmore Girls, and Pretty Little Liars for US viewers, we want more!
While we love some British drama, we’d also like to see some great action movies and comedies – Netflix is pretty lacking in these categories, but both Britbox and Acorn TV have a decent selection.
It’s clear to us that both services are fantastic for what they offer which makes choosing one complicated. If you prefer original content or want more of it from the get-go, then Britbox may be more suited for you.
Netflix vs BritBox – Who’s the Winner?
As mentioned above, there are several shows available on BritBox that you cannot stream on Netflix, so try it out to see for yourself. Whether you watch British TV series or not, streaming fans should have both services in their media list to get the most value from them.
With Netflix, you can subscribe to receive updates when new seasons are released and with Britbox, you might find that you will enjoy watching some of those old rare gems that are now becoming available again because this service brings back fond memories of the time, they were originally aired decades ago.
