BBC '˜developing Netflix rival dubbed Britflix'

The new streaming service is expected to rival Netflix. Picture: Getty Images

The Telegraph reports that the Corporation is set to push on with plans to develop a subscription-based service in collaboration with ITV, after Westminster gave the project the green light.

Dubbed ‘Britflix’, the streaming service is very much in its infancy, and comes in the wake of the White Paper on the BBC’s future published last week, which made reference to developing ‘some form of additional subscription services’ over the next few years.

Delivered through the BBC iPlayer, ‘Britflix’ would allow access to archived programmes, as well as commissioning it own content, with input from production firms such as NBC Universal.

The House of Cards remake was an early success for Netlfix. Picture: Contributed

Netflix has enjoyed considerable success with its ‘Netflix Originals’ programmes, including Orange is the New Black, Marco Polo and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Culture Secretary John Whittingdale told The Telegraph that felt collaboration with other broadcasters and production firms was ‘important.’

Mr Whittingdale added: “We’re moving into a different world where more and more content is going to be made available on demand.

“There may come a moment in the future where all television is delivered online. And it becomes a more realistic, practical possibility if you wanted to move towards an element of voluntary subscription.”

Currently, the BBC iPlayer offers content on both a catch-up and live-streaming basis.

Founded in August 1997 as a DVD-by-mail service, Netflix began streaming content in 2007, and has grown to be one of the world’s leading streaming media services, with over 81 million global subscribers as of April 2016.

The company’s chief product officer Neil Hunt has said in the past that he believes Netflix is a model for what television will look like in 2025.