ITV has announced plans for a new on-demand platform.
Damian Lewis' A Spy Among Friends will premiere on ITVX
The channel is to launch ITVX, which will allow viewers to watch thousands of hours of content for free, or subscribe to tune into add-free shows, and it is planning to premiere numerous programmes on the service six to eight months ahead of them airing on ITV's broadcast channel.
These include new drama 'A Spy Among Friends', which features Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce.
Carolyn McCall, ITV’s Chief Executive, said: "The digital acceleration we are announcing today builds on everything we have achieved in phase one of our More Than TV strategy.
"ITVX will be a free service supported by adverts, with a compelling subscription proposition.
"This is fantastic for viewers - it will provide a simplified and seamless experience with thousands of hours of free content made up of both library and original exclusive content.
"The subscription tier will provide a premium offering and includes all of the content ad-free as well as BritBox and future SVOD content partners.
"We are supercharging our streaming business, fundamentally shifting our focus to think digital first, as well as optimising our broadcast channels, by continuing to attract unrivalled mass audiences.
"In doing so we are responding to changing viewing habits, but also the evolving needs from our advertisers.
"This will enable ITV to continue to be both commercial viewers and advertisers’ first choice."
Kevin Lygo, ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, says the channel is planning to offer viewers a service with "more fresh, free content dropping every week than anywhere else".
He added: "Our broadcast channels are very important to what we do, and we are still focused on delivering what ITV does better than anyone in commercial TV - creating programmes that bring audiences together - in-the-moment, in their millions, for that shared viewing, scheduled TV experience.
"However we know we have to deliver our programmes to as many people as possible in all the ways they want to watch them, and going forward viewers will now see a wide array of shows premiering first on ITVX, which is the cornerstone of ITV’s digital acceleration."
The pricing of the subscription tier in ITVX will be announced later this year.
Tagged in Guy Pearce Damian Lewis