BritBox deal lets you get six months for free — here's how

(Image credit: BritBox)

BritBox is the kind of streaming service you’ve heard of, but probably haven’t ever subscribed to. It’s not quite as big (or new) as the likes of Amazon Prime Video or Netflix, but there’s still quite a lot on there.

But if being promised some of the best programming from BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 isn’t enough to entice you into checking it out, maybe a free six month subscription will. All you need to do is be a BT TV or broadband customer.

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Provided you’re signed on to one or both of those services, BT is happy to give you six months access to BritBox for you to enjoy at your leisure. Meaning you can watch classic shows like The Inbetweeners, Downton Abbey, classic Doctor Who, and the recently rebooted Spitting Image. There are Film4 movies too, with Trainspotting taking centre-stage on the service’s homepage.

Existing BritBox subscribers aren’t exempt from this offer either, which is great news, though BT suggests cancelling your existing subscription to avoid payment issues. They also recommend that anyone who already has free BritBox as part of some other offer should wait until that ends.

BritBox is available on smartphones, smart TVs, and other good streaming hardware. BT TV customers will also be able to stream directly from their set-top box.

It’s worth pointing out that the deal isn’t automatic and if you want to give BritBox a go you’re going to need to opt in. It’s not entirely clear how from the outside, but we assume it’ll be an option after you log into your BT account. You won’t need to worry about surprise charges on your bill come April, either, since BT has promised to warn customers when their freebie is coming to an end.

Anyone who then decides BritBox is pretty great, and doesn’t want to lose access, can then start paying £5.99 a month or £59.99 for a year. The monthly charge can also be added to your BT bill, if you don’t want the hassle of an extra payment coming out of your bank account every month.

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.