The British Broadcasting Corporation’s commercial arm BBC Studios is making some key leadership changes at its Britbox streaming service in North America.
Starting early next month, Robert Schildhouse will take an expanded role as the President of Britbox North America and General Manager of Britbox International, which includes the streaming service’s operations in the United States and Canada. He previously served as the General Manager of Britbox North America, and joined the company in October 2022.
Prior to joining Britbox, Schildhouse was the Chief Content Officer at Airtime, an interest-based social media platform. He also held roles at search engine Yahoo, streaming service Hulu and broadcaster CBS.
Schildhouse will report to Rebecca Glashow, the CEO of the BBC’s Global Media and Streaming division. Also reporting to Glashow is Kerry Ball, who will continue in her role as Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer for Britbox International.
Schildhouse will remain in New York City, and Ball will remain in London, the company affirmed on Monday.
“Robert’s commitment, creativity and passion for the business make him the optimal leader to drive the continued success of BritBox, and I’m looking forward to working with him,” Glashow said in a statement. “With Robert’s deep understanding of the streaming landscape, combined with our world-class leadership team and staff, BritBox is poised for an exciting next phase of growth in the BBC portfolio.”
“I am thrilled to take on this expanded role at such a pivotal moment for BritBox International. We have had an incredible year of growth and are uniquely positioned to solidify our standing as the premier destination for delivering quality British content to our loyal and expanding subscriber base,” Schildhouse said in a statement. “Great stories can come from anywhere, and we remain committed to curating premium content from the deep and varied creative community across the UK, including ITV, independent producers and from within BBC Studios.”
Britbox launched in 2017, offering streamers in the United States and Canada access to British comedies, dramas, and thrillers from the BBC and ITV channels in the United Kingdom. Some of the streamer’s hit series include “Archie,” “Death in Paradise,” “Line of Duty,” “Sherwood” and “Shetland.”
Earlier this year, Britbox said its global subscriber base stood at around 3.4 million customers; in a statement on Monday, Britbox International said its subscriber base increased “300 percent in the past four years, and it is set for a record year this year.”
Britbox in the United States costs $9 per month or $90 per year, and is available on a wide number of streaming TV platforms, including Apple TV, Roku, Android TV (Google TV), Amazon Fire TV, Xumo Stream and smart TVs made by Vizio, LG, Samsung and Sony. Apps are also available for most popular phones and tablets, and content can be streamed via the Britbox website as well.
A seven-day free trial is available to new customers who sign up by clicking or tapping this link.
