As a TV Editor, I spend a lot of time thinking about streaming services. Which is the best value for money? Which has the best programmes? And – perhaps most importantly – which platform is the easiest to use? It’s a minefield.
In the past I’ve heralded Apple TV as the king thanks to its starry, expensive dramas, made possible by the eye-wateringly expensive £9.99 monthly subscription fee. Until recently, I’ve found myself going to Disney+, pulled in by American word of mouth hits like Love Story and Alice and Steve, though eventually put off by all the superhero nonsense there is to wade through. BBC iPlayer is a reliable stalwart of the scene, of course, but it can often feel like there’s not much new to get into.
My search for perfection has driven me to seek new streaming horizons. I’ve tried HBO Max (seen it all), Paramount+ (only cowboys) and even dabbled in YouTube Premium (not worth the cash). Little did I know the answer to the best streaming service was right under my nose: ITVX.
Launched in 2022 to replace the much maligned (and atrociously named) ITV Hub, there wasn’t much to celebrate in the early years of the streamer. It was – as I wrote at the time – the exact same shonky website, designed only to house the shows that were being shown on ITV’s terrestrial channels. OK, I’m being mean – it did have a nice new lime-green logo!
