CEO of BBC Studios’ DTC Business Discusses How North America Became British TV’s Biggest Opportunity

At the NAB Streaming Summit on April 20, 2026, Robert Schildhouse, CEO of BBC Studios’ DTC business, discussed the strategic evolution of streaming and the specific success of BritBox. Schildhouse, an industry veteran who helped launch Hulu in 2008, outlined how his division prioritizes a “durable and profitable” business model over the high-volume, “grow-at-all-costs” strategy popularized by Netflix.

Unlike general entertainment platforms aiming for 200 million global households, BritBox focuses on a disciplined, niche approach, which some might call the “Anti-Netflix” model. Some of Robert’s key takeaways on the business included:

• Profitability Over Scale: BritBox prioritizes profit margins and lifetime customer value over sheer subscriber counts
• Distinctive Content Lanes: BritBox leans into specific British genres that resonate with American audiences, particularly mysteries, crime, and period dramas
• Retention vs. Hits: Instead of relying on a single quarterly “mega-hit” to drive sign-ups, the service focuses on its “deep cannon” of thousands of hours of programming to keep users engaged long-term

Schildhouse highlighted the successful launch of BritBox Premier, a premium tier that offers 4K quality, early access to shows, mobile downloads, and documentaries from BBC Select. Though launched with little fanfare, it already represents over 10% of its own-and-operated subscribers.

An interesting stat Robert gave out was that 50% of BritBox’s direct subscribers are on annual plans. These users are worth more than twice as much as monthly subscribers, given their significantly higher tenure and lower churn. BritBox’s audience leans older and more female, a segment Schildhouse describes as more loyal and less prone to “serial churn” than younger viewers.

Marketing efforts are highly specific: while a general viewer might not see BritBox ads, target demographics are “overwhelmed” by them across TV and social media to keep the service top-of-mind.
Robert also teased the May 6 release of The Other Bennet Sister (a Pride and Prejudice spin-off), which he views as a major “on-ramp” for reaching broader female audiences.

Schildhouse strongly believes the industry’s future lies in aggregation and bundling, not fragmentation. BritBox is actively experimenting with bundles—having already partnered with Starz, MGM+, and Hallmark—to introduce the service to unique, adjacent audience profiles.

My thanks to Robert for speaking at the NAB Show Streaming Summit and giving everyone an update on BritBox’s business and market strategy. My apologies that his fireside chat is not available on demand; we had a technical issue with the recording. The rest of the presentations from the show can be seen here.