Product brand
UnclaimedITVX is the British free, ad-supported streaming service of ITV plc, combining live ITV channels with an on-demand library of drama, entertainment, film and exclusive originals.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
ITVX is the streaming brand of ITV plc, the British commercial broadcaster that operates the ITV1 network (legally Channel 3) across most of the United Kingdom. ITVX replaced the earlier ITV Hub as the company's direct-to-consumer streaming destination, bringing together live simulcasts of ITV's free-to-air channels with a large on-demand catalogue of drama, entertainment, comedy, documentary, film and sport. The service is free to watch and funded by advertising, with an optional subscription tier (ITVX Premium) that removes most ads and adds extra content and features. ITVX sits inside ITV plc's Media and Entertainment division, which owns the ITV1 channel and the other ITV-branded channels and holds the Channel 3 broadcast licences for every UK region except central and northern Scotland, where STV Group holds them. ITV plc itself was formed in 2004 from the merger of Granada plc and Carlton Communications, and it commissions the network schedule centrally, with programmes made by its subsidiary ITV Studios and by independent producers. ITVX is therefore both a consumer-facing product brand and a strategic distribution platform through which ITV reaches audiences who watch on demand rather than through scheduled broadcast. The brand's positioning is built on free access: ITVX is a free, ad-supported streaming service aimed at a mass British audience, competing with other UK broadcaster-led players and with global subscription services by offering no-cost access to ITV's most popular programming alongside exclusive original series. Its launch reflected ITV's shift from a pure broadcaster to a combined broadcast-and-streaming business, and ITVX has become the group's main digital shop window for its content. Ownership has been stable within ITV plc, but the corporate context changed in July 2026, when ITV plc agreed to sell its Media and Entertainment division, including its television channels and ITVX, to Sky for up to £1.6 billion, subject to regulatory approval, with ITV Studios remaining a separate business. If completed, that transaction would move the ITVX brand under Sky's ownership while leaving ITV's production arm independent.
History
ITVX is the successor to ITV Hub, the streaming service ITV plc operated for its on-demand content. ITVX was introduced as ITV's refreshed direct-to-consumer streaming brand, designed to bring live ITV channels and a deeper on-demand library together in one place and to host exclusive original series alongside the broadcaster's main schedule. The service is part of ITV plc's Media and Entertainment division, which holds the Channel 3 licences for every UK region except central and northern Scotland, where STV Group holds them. The corporate history behind the brand begins with the launch of Independent Television in 1955 as a commercial competitor to the BBC, and with the regional franchise system that shaped British commercial television for decades. The Broadcasting Act 1990 changed the network's structure, allowing companies to buy one another and awarding franchises by highest bid, and consolidation followed through the 1990s. By 2004 the network was owned by five companies, and in that year Carlton and Granada merged to form ITV plc; later acquisitions included Channel Television in 2011 and UTV in 2015. ITV plc now commissions the network schedule centrally, with programmes made by its subsidiary ITV Studios and by independent producers. ITVX emerged from that consolidated broadcaster as its digital growth vehicle, positioned as a free, advertising-funded service that could compete for British viewers against both other broadcaster platforms and global subscription streamers. The brand carries ITV's main channels and its original commissions, and it offers an optional premium subscription tier. In July 2026, ITV plc agreed to sell its Media and Entertainment division, including its television channels and ITVX, to Sky for up to £1.6 billion, subject to regulatory approval, with ITV Studios to remain a separate business.
Independent Television launches in the UK as a commercial competitor to the BBC, the corporate forerunner of the ITV network behind ITVX.
The Broadcasting Act 1990 reshapes ITV, allowing companies to buy one another and awarding franchises by highest bid.
Carlton and Granada merge to form ITV plc, consolidating most of the network under one company.
ITV plc takes over Channel Television, the Channel Islands franchise.
ITV plc acquires UTV, the franchise for ITV in Northern Ireland.
ITVX is introduced as ITV's refreshed streaming brand, succeeding ITV Hub.
ITV plc agrees to sell its Media and Entertainment division, including ITVX, to Sky for up to £1.6 billion, subject to regulatory approval.
Products and positioning
Free, ad-supported mass-market British streaming destination built on ITV's broadcast brands and original commissions.
ITVX free streaming service
Free, ad-supported streaming destination combining live ITV channels with an on-demand library.
ITVX Premium
Optional subscription tier of the ITVX service.
Recent events
Reported
ITV acquires Northanger Abbey for ITVX streaming[2]
ITV has acquired the 2007 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, which will be available to stream on ITVX from 24 September 2026.
- Unconfirmed
ITVX acquires Doggyworld for streaming[3]
UK commercial broadcaster ITV has acquired the children's animated series Doggyworld for its ITVX streaming service, where it will debut on September 1. The first season of 26 episodes and the 13-episode second season will both be added to ITVX.
Reported
ITV announces ITVX streaming service[4]
ITV announced ITVX, a streaming service with free ad-supported and optional subscription tiers, which is planned to replace ITV Hub and ITV Hub+ later in 2022.
Reported
ITV announces ITVX on-demand platform plan[5]
ITV unveiled plans for ITVX, a new on-demand platform that it said it would launch in the fourth quarter. The platform is planned to integrate advertising-based and subscription video-on-demand streaming in the UK.
Sources5 sources
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