BritBox UK: Not coming to Sky Q - but Chromecast support goes live

Sky won't be offering the BritBox video on-demand service anytime soon, after reportedly "cooling" on the ITV-led venture.

According to The Sunday Times, the pay TV giant now owned by Comcast has "refused" to take the service.

However, BritBox UK has this week launched Chromecast support, offering a new way for viewers to stream the service on TVs. Fire Sticks will follow in early 2020.

BritBox UK has also signed deals with BT and Freeview, meaning that the service will shortly begin appearing on YouView and Freeview Play devices, with roll-out on the first Freeview Play devices due in the coming days, continuing across all Freeview Play compatible smart TVs and boxes in 2020.

Although BritBox UK contains programmes from the BBC, Channel 5 and soon Channel 4 alongside ITV programmes and created by both the BBC and ITV, it's ITV that has the dominant share in the venture, with a 90% stake in the business.

Notably, with regards Sky's reluctance to add BritBox, some of the ITV content on the service is of the same type that was available on the defunct ITV Encore channel which was launched in partnership with Sky, and exclusively available on Sky's television platforms.