ITVX is the UK’s primary ad-supported streaming service from ITV plc, launched in December 2022. It replaced the ITV Hub and now offers over 15,000 hours of free on-demand TV alongside a premium ad-free subscription. This review covers everything a first-time viewer needs to know.
ITVX delivers live ITV channels, exclusive original commissions, licensed box sets, and sports content through a single free account. The premium tier adds BritBox UK and removes all adverts from on-demand viewing. App performance is a recurring concern in user reviews, though the content library is widely praised.
This guide examines how ITVX works, what it costs, which devices it supports, and what real users say about it. By the end, readers will know exactly whether ITVX is worth using — and whether the premium upgrade makes sense for their viewing habits.
What Is ITVX?
ITVX is a British ad-supported streaming service owned and operated by ITV Consumer Limited, a division of ITV plc, launched on 8 December 2022. The platform replaced the ITV Hub and expanded its free content library from 4,000 hours to over 15,000 hours of on-demand TV. It now competes directly with BBC iPlayer and Channel 4’s streaming service as a leading UK streaming destination.
In fact, the upgrade from ITV Hub to ITVX was significant. The old platform lagged badly behind its rivals. ITVX addressed this directly with HD streaming, live channel access, and a dramatically larger content library from day one.
The service runs on a dual model. The free tier carries adverts during playback. The premium tier removes adverts from on-demand content and includes BritBox UK. Does a free streaming service ever come without strings? Not really. ITVX’s string is adverts. Both tiers cover live ITV channels, catch-up episodes, and exclusive commissions. ITVX had 1.3 million registered users as of December 2023.
When Did ITVX Replace ITV Hub?
ITVX officially launched on 8 December 2022, replacing the ITV Hub as ITV’s primary on-demand and catch-up streaming platform. ITV announced the transition in March 2022, positioning ITVX as a direct upgrade with more content and better streaming quality. The ITV Hub had originally launched in December 2008 and accumulated at least 30 million registered users by July 2019.
Here’s the thing: ITVX didn’t just rename the old service. It rebuilt it from scratch. The ITV Hub had significant limitations — users couldn’t rewind live TV, smart TV apps performed poorly, and much of the historical content had migrated to the paid BritBox platform. ITVX fixed all three on launch day.
Was it a meaningful upgrade? Absolutely. The new service launched with 15,000 hours of free content versus the Hub’s 4,000. That’s nearly four times more for the same zero cost to the viewer.
Who Owns ITVX?
ITVX is owned and operated by ITV Consumer Limited, a subsidiary of ITV plc, one of the UK’s largest publicly listed commercial broadcasters. The company is led by CEO Carolyn McCall, who described ITVX as powered by a ‘streaming-first commissioning budget’ and a high-quality data and technology platform. Managing director Kevin Lygo has stated the service would bring ‘more eyeballs’ to ITV content than any previous platform.
ITV plc has operated UK commercial television since the 1950s. The company is regulated by Ofcom, which means ITVX operates under the same editorial standards as ITV’s broadcast channels. That’s a meaningful trust signal for a streaming service.
Key ITVX Facts:
- Parent company: ITV Consumer Limited (ITV plc)
- CEO: Carolyn McCall
- Launch date: 8 December 2022
- Headquarters: ITV White City, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7RU
- Support email: it******@*tv.com
How Does ITVX Work?
ITVX works as an over-the-top streaming platform that delivers ITV content over the internet, requiring only a free registered account and a stable internet connection. Users access the service through the ITVX website, iOS app, Android app, or any supported connected TV device. The platform streams in HD and supports picture-in-picture and pinch-to-zoom on mobile devices.
Think of it this way: ITVX is the digital home of everything that airs on ITV. Live TV, catch-up episodes, exclusive commissions, and box sets all sit in one place. No cable subscription is needed. No TV licence is required to use ITVX, unlike BBC iPlayer.
Content is organised into three sections: on-demand catch-up, live channels, and curated FAST channels. Is a TV licence required? No. ITVX is accessible without one, unlike BBC iPlayer. The platform is officially restricted to the United Kingdom. Users outside the UK can access the free tier via a VPN, though ITVX notes this is at the viewer’s discretion.
Is ITVX Free to Use?
Yes. ITVX offers a permanently free tier that gives all users access to over 15,000 hours of on-demand TV and 150 films available at any one time. Live ITV channels — ITV1, ITV2, ITVBe, ITV3, and ITV4 — are included at no cost. Registration requires only an email address, and no credit card is needed to start watching.
Is there a catch? Sort of. Adverts play during free-tier viewing sessions. But the volume of content available makes the trade-off reasonable for most users. The free library covers the vast majority of ITV’s output, including full box sets and live channels.
The good news? Users outside the UK can access the free tier through a VPN. ITVX does not require a TV licence, unlike BBC iPlayer. This makes it accessible to cord-cutters who want free UK streaming without a broadcast licence commitment.
What Is ITVX Premium?
ITVX Premium is the paid subscription tier that removes all adverts from on-demand content and includes full BritBox UK access within the same monthly price. The premium plan costs £5.99 per month or £59.99 per year. A seven-day free trial is available for new subscribers before any payment is taken. Live TV channels still carry adverts even on premium.
Here’s why the premium tier became more valuable in 2024: BritBox UK ceased to exist as a standalone platform in April 2024. It was fully absorbed into ITVX Premium, adding classic British drama, comedy, and archive content from BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 — all under one £5.99 subscription.
In July 2024, ITV announced a partnership with NBCUniversal to bring the Hayu streaming service into ITVX. Hayu specialises in international reality TV. Premium subscribers access additional Hayu content through the same ITVX account without a separate subscription.
Free vs Premium Comparison:
| Feature | Free Tier | Premium Tier |
| Monthly cost | £0 | £5.99/month |
| On-demand adverts | Yes | No |
| Live TV | Yes (with ads) | Yes (with ads) |
| BritBox UK | No | Yes |
| Hayu content | No | Yes |
| 7-day free trial | N/A | Yes |
What Can You Watch on ITVX?
ITVX offers dramas, reality TV, sitcoms, game shows, films, sports, live events, and box sets across both the free and premium tiers. The platform carries all ITV broadcast content plus exclusive commissions, licensed international programming, and a selection of themed FAST channels. Flagship ITV shows include Love Island, Coronation Street, I’m a Celebrity, and This Morning.
And it gets better. Sports coverage includes football, horse racing, rugby, and motorsports. Live sports events broadcast on ITV channels stream through ITVX simultaneously. Most major broadcasts are available across all supported devices.
The film library refreshes regularly. How many films are available at once? 150 titles at any one time, with a commitment to stream 500 different films across the year. Third-party licensed content expands the genre range well beyond ITV’s own productions.
Does ITVX Have Exclusive Shows?
Yes. ITVX has an active exclusive programming slate, with at least one new original show launching on the platform every week as part of a streaming-first commissioning strategy. Launch titles included A Spy Among Friends (Damian Lewis, Guy Pearce), Litvinenko (David Tennant, Mark Bonnar), Nolly (produced by Russell T Davies), and The Confessions of Frannie Langton. Out There is also streaming exclusively on ITVX.
What’s more, the NBCUniversal partnership from July 2024 added Hayu content to ITVX, bringing international reality TV programming into the platform’s exclusive roster. This expanded the content footprint without requiring a separate subscription from users.
Notable ITVX Exclusive Shows:
- A Spy Among Friends (Damian Lewis, Guy Pearce)
- Litvinenko (David Tennant, Mark Bonnar)
- Nolly (produced by Russell T Davies)
- The Confessions of Frannie Langton
- Tell Me Everything
- Out There
Does ITVX Stream Live TV?
Yes. ITVX streams live broadcasts from ITV1, ITV2, ITVBe, ITV3, and ITV4, plus a range of themed FAST channels, all available at no cost on the free tier. Additional FAST channels include ITV Quiz, ITVX Kids, Reality 24/7, Comedy 24/7, Chilling Thrillers, Go USA, and Essex TV. Users access live streams by clicking ‘Live’ in the navigation bar on the ITVX website or in the app.
Each live channel listing shows what’s currently playing, how far along the broadcast is, and what comes next. Can users restart a live stream from the beginning? Yes. That option sits alongside the join-live button on every channel page. This is a feature the old ITV Hub never offered.
To be clear, some programmes carry only television broadcast rights and not online streaming rights. When this applies, an unavailability message appears on screen. This is not a technical fault — it reflects a licensing limitation specific to that title.
How Do You Watch ITVX on TV?
ITVX works on a connected TV through its dedicated app, available on all major smart TV platforms and streaming devices, requiring only a free account and internet connection. Users who already stream ITVX on-demand are automatically ready for live TV — no additional configuration is needed. The ITVX website is also accessible via a smart TV browser for devices without a dedicated app.
On mobile, the iOS and Android apps are available from the App Store and Google Play. Users navigate to the ‘Live’ section in the app and swipe to scroll through available channels. Picture-in-picture mode lets viewers continue watching while using other apps simultaneously.
The app is updated regularly on both platforms to improve performance and add features. So what does that mean in practice? It means the experience is still actively evolving. Bugs that exist today may be resolved in future updates, based on the changelog history.
Which Devices Support ITVX?
ITVX supports a broad range of connected TV devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Freesat, LG Smart TVs, Samsung Smart TVs (2017 and above), Now/Roku players, PlayStation 4 and 5, Sky Q, Sky Glass, and Sky Stream. Virgin Media TV360 and Stream are also supported, along with Xbox One, Xbox One S/X, and Xbox Series X/S. Live TV is available on select Freeview models where a ‘Live’ icon appears in the left menu.
Samsung Smart TVs older than 2017 may not support the ITVX app. Does Freeview work? Some models do, some don’t. The ‘Live’ icon in the left menu is the clearest indicator of live TV support on Freeview. Sony and other Android TV models carry the ITVX app through the Google Play Store for TVs.
Supported ITVX Platforms:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android TV and Google TV
- Apple TV
- Freesat
- LG Smart TVs
- Samsung Smart TVs (2017 and above)
- Now/Roku streaming players
- PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
- Sky Q, Sky Glass, Sky Stream
- Virgin Media TV360 and Stream
- Xbox One, One S/X, and Series X/S
What Do ITVX Reviews Say?
ITVX holds a 4.0-star rating on the Google Play Store from over 157,000 reviews and has been downloaded more than 10 million times, reflecting a broadly positive but mixed reception. Users consistently praise the content library and the value of the free tier. At the same time, a significant portion of reviewers express frustration with app performance, buffering, and inconsistent user experience across devices.
Does the star rating tell the whole story? Not entirely. The Trustpilot reviews paint a much more negative picture. Multiple users describe the app as unreliable, citing crashes, lag, and frozen playback. The gap between app store ratings and Trustpilot suggests heavily engaged users have a more critical experience than casual viewers.
Short answer: the content is good, the app is inconsistent. The content offering is consistently described as strong across all review platforms. Reviewers highlight the range of shows, the ease of accessing live TV for free, and the depth of the box set library.
What Are the Best Things About ITVX?
ITVX’s strongest qualities centre on its wide free content library, seamless live TV access, and competitive pricing for the premium subscription tier. Reviewers consistently highlight the range of shows and ease of navigating back to a previously watched episode. One April 2026 Google Play reviewer gave 4 stars, calling it ‘a great app with plenty of choice’ and ‘easy to navigate.’
The free content tier is the standout strength. Users appreciate that ITV’s full broadcast lineup — Love Island, Coronation Street, live events — is available without payment. The trade-off is watching adverts, which most users accept as reasonable for the volume of content available.
And here is the best part: the premium subscription adds BritBox UK for just £5.99 per month. For fans of classic British television, pairing ad-free streaming with the BritBox archive under one subscription is genuinely hard to beat at that price point.
What Are the Biggest Complaints About ITVX?
The most common complaints about ITVX centre on app performance — buffering, freezing, crashes, and lag reported consistently across iOS, Android, and connected TV devices. Multiple users describe the service as ‘staggeringly awful,’ with specific issues including the app failing to remember watch position and not auto-playing the next episode. Trustpilot reflects significant and ongoing frustration with the technical experience.
Performance varies heavily by device and connection. Some users report clean, uninterrupted viewing while others on similar networks describe constant interruptions. The disparity suggests the app’s stability depends strongly on device type and software version.
Navigation problems appear frequently in reviews. Finding specific shows requires more steps than users expect. The absence of automatic next-episode playback is cited repeatedly. One 2026 Google Play review describes the app as ‘incredibly laggy’ despite genuine appreciation for the content itself.
Pros:
- Free access to 15,000+ hours of content
- Live ITV channels included at no cost
- Premium bundles BritBox at £5.99/month
- Wide device support across smart TVs and consoles
- Exclusive original commissions launched weekly
Cons:
- App freezing and buffering reported frequently
- No auto-play next episode on most devices
- Watch position not reliably saved
- UK-only service officially
- Live TV carries adverts even on premium tier
Is ITVX Safe and Legit?
Yes. ITVX is a legitimate UK streaming service operated by ITV Consumer Limited, a publicly listed broadcaster that has served UK audiences since the 1950s. The app is available on the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and all major supported TV platforms. No credible reports exist of ITVX operating as a scam or fraudulent service of any kind.
Pay attention to this: ITVX collects personal information, app activity data, and device performance data. The developer states that data is encrypted in transit. Users can request deletion of their personal data through the app or by contacting it******@*tv.com directly.
ITV plc is regulated by Ofcom and subject to UK data protection law under the UK GDPR. The content is rated Teen (12 and above) on app stores, with parental guidance recommended. These ratings mirror the content that appears on ITV’s broadcast channels.
Can You Use ITVX Outside the UK?
ITVX is officially a UK-only streaming service, with geographic licensing agreements restricting access to viewers connecting from within the United Kingdom. International viewers can access the free ad-supported tier using a VPN, with ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Private Internet Access commonly recommended for this purpose. ITVX acknowledges that external access is at the viewer’s own discretion.
So what does that mean for British expats? In practice, a UK-based VPN server gives access to the full free library and live channels. The premium subscription, however, requires a UK payment method to activate. Some content carries TV-broadcast-only rights and may remain unavailable even through a VPN.
ITVX’s international footprint is currently limited, though the July 2024 partnership with NBCUniversal to integrate Hayu signals broader ambitions. Hayu focuses on international reality TV and could eventually extend ITVX’s reach into more markets with proper licensing in place.
How Much Does ITVX Cost?
ITVX offers a permanently free tier with no monthly charge for access to ITV’s full on-demand library and live channels, supported by adverts during playback. The premium tier costs £5.99 per month or £59.99 per year, covering ad-free on-demand viewing and BritBox UK. A seven-day free trial is available for new premium subscribers before any charge applies.
The annual plan works out to approximately £5 per month. That saves roughly £11.89 compared to 12 monthly payments. Worth it? For viewers who watch consistently, yes — the effective rate drops below the cost of one Netflix Standard plan.
No credit card is needed for the free tier. The premium upgrade is managed within the ITVX app or through the website. Users in the UK can also access ITVX through Sky, Virgin Media, and Amazon Prime Video channels, where bundling may affect pricing.
ITVX Pricing Overview:
| Plan | Price | Ad-Free On-Demand | BritBox Included |
| Free | £0/month | No | No |
| Premium Monthly | £5.99/month | Yes | Yes |
| Premium Annual | £59.99/year (~£5/month) | Yes | Yes |
Is ITVX Worth the Price?
Yes. ITVX Premium delivers solid value at £5.99 per month by bundling ad-free ITV viewing with full BritBox UK access under a single subscription. BritBox was absorbed into ITVX Premium in April 2024, ending the need for a separate streaming plan. This makes ITVX Premium one of the most cost-effective options for British TV fans at under £6 per month.
By comparison, Netflix’s basic plan starts at £4.99 per month but offers no UK catch-up content. BBC iPlayer and Channel 4 streaming remain free for UK viewers with a TV licence. ITVX Premium adds what neither service provides — combined ad-free ITV viewing plus BritBox’s full archive in one place.
The seven-day free trial is the clearest way to judge value for yourself. Annual subscribers save around £12 versus 12 monthly payments. Users who value ad-free viewing and enjoy British archive content will find the premium tier straightforward value at the current price.
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