BritBox, a digital subscription service from the BBC and ITV, has welcomed Viacom-owned Channel 5 and Comedy Central to its line-up as it continues to build momentum ahead of its highly anticipated launch.

The deal will bring factual and entertainment content from Channel 5 and original British comedies from Comedy Central UK to the platform. Boxsets from Channel 5 will also appear on BritBox following a 30-day catch-up window on the My5 service.

“Under Viacom’s ownership we have significantly increased Channel 5’s investment in original UK content and we’re delighted to bring our popular homegrown content to an even wider audience through BritBox, alongside a selection of Comedy Central’s much-loved UK programming,” said Arran Tindall, senior vice president of commercial & content distribution at Viacom International Media Networks.

The Channel 5 and Comedy Central portfolios will be added to a line-up already set to include Victoria, Happy Valley, Broadchurch, Les Miserables, Downtown Abbey, Love Island, Famalam, Cleaning Up, Gentleman Jack, Gavin & Stacey, The Office, Benidorm, and more. Access to all programming will cost £5.99 per month in HD and across multiple screens and devices.

The BBC and ITV first confirmed their plans to launch BritBox in the UK in February this year, after launching the platform in the US & Canada in 2017. The BritBox UK launch comes some 12 years after the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 first put forward plans to launch a British TV-focused video on-demand service – only to see the UK’s Competition Commission block them from doing so two years later in 2009.