BritBox International sets new leadership following BBC Studios takeover

Death In Paradise (Source: BBC Studios)

BritBox International has appointed Robert Schildhouse as its new chief, following BBC Studios’ takeover of the streamer earlier this month.

Schildhouse is elevated to president of BritBox North America and GM of BritBox International, having previously served as GM of North America and group editorial for BritBox International.

Effective 1 April, as part of his new remit, Schildhouse will assume responsibility for product/technology and marketing, in addition to editorial. In his previous role, he is credited with having driven the streamer’s growth in the US and Canada.

Before joining BritBox, Schildhouse was part of the launch team at Hulu and also held leadership roles at CBS.

Robert Schildhouse

Kerry Ball will meanwhile continue in her role as chief commercial and strategy officer, with both Ball and Schildhouse now reporting to Rebecca Glashow, CEO of BBC Global Media & Streaming.

“Robert’s commitment, creativity and passion for the business make him the optimal leader to drive the continued success of BritBox and I’m looking forward to working with him,” said Glashow.

“With Robert’s deep understanding of the streaming landscape, combined with our world-class leadership team and staff, BritBox is poised for an exciting next phase of growth in the BBC portfolio.”

BBC Studios took full ownership of BritBox International earlier this month after acquiring ITV’s 50% share for £255m ($322m). The deal came seven years since ITV and BBCS launched the streamer, which claims 3.75 million subscribers and is available in eight countries.

The service, which BBCS said has an enterprise value of £550m, offers shows ranging from Archie, Death In Paradise, Father Brown and Line Of Duty to Sherwood, Luther and Shetland.

A UK version of the streamer had also been operated by BBCS and ITV, but the latter acquired the BBC’s 10% stake in 2022 and subsequently rolled it into the commercial broadcaster’s streamer, ITVX.