Engineering the UK’s fastest-growing streaming platform
Exec summary
ITV’s launch of ITVX represented a fundamental shift to a digital-first strategy, aiming to become a leader in UK advertiser-funded streaming. Candyspace, a strategic partner for over 15 years, was tasked with architecting and delivering the mobile and Apple TV experience for this massive scaling of capabilities. We delivered a world-class solution: the UK’s first integrated advertising and subscription-funded platform.
By deploying cross-functional squads to build the iOS, Android and Apple TV platforms, we delivered transformative growth in viewer engagement. The new service achieved 1 billion streams in just four months – nearly twice as fast as previous records – while driving a 37% increase in monthly active users. Crucially, our engineering of seamless content discovery and personalisation has established ITVX as the fastest-growing streaming platform in the UK.
BUSINESS NEED
Create a digital-first revenue ecosystem that combines ad-funded reach with subscription growth to secure future profitability
CUSTOMER DEMAND
A seamless, premium viewing experience with intuitive content discovery and consistent performance
Here are the results
1bn
Streams in first 4 months
45%
Growth in total streaming hours since launch
37%
Increase in Monthly Active Users since launch
Business context
ITV’s launch of ITVX in 2022 was one of the most significant moments in the company's 68-year history, representing a massive scaling up of streaming capabilities and a fundamental shift to a digital-first strategy. The company's vision is to become a leader in UK advertiser-funded streaming by 2026, and ITVX is the cornerstone of this ambition.
ITVX was designed to address the changing viewing habits of audiences and the evolving needs of advertisers, who were demanding premium digital inventory. It is the UK's first integrated advertising and subscription platform, combining its predecessors, ITV Hub, Hub+, and BritBox, all built on a new technical and user architecture and underpinned by enhanced data capability.
This new service transformed ITV’s streaming product from a catch-up platform to a digital destination with a vast library of content, including exclusive premieres and free ad-funded (AVOD) content. The successful execution of this digital transformation is seen as crucial for making the business more resilient, with production and digital now accounting for close to two-thirds of ITV's revenue.
Candyspace have provided a consistently excellent standard of service to ITV for over a decade and have been integral to the success of ITVX. The quality of the talent they deploy has always been very high.
Candyspace's remit and objectives
Candyspace have partnered with ITV for over 15 years – in 2008 we were responsible for creating ITV’s first streaming product, ITV Player, to deliver a new strategic revenue pillar for their business. In 2022 we were tasked with delivering ITVX across iOS, Android, and Apple TV devices.
Our core objectives were to deliver a world-class streaming service with a consistent and intuitive user experience from day one, regardless of which platform a user chose to access the service. This included implementing a new UI, new and innovative features for content discovery, improving personalisation, and enhancing data capability to support both AVOD and the new paid SVOD (subscription video on demand) tiers.
Team structure and deliverables
To ensure seamless delivery, Candyspace scaled from 13 to 45 specialists over 12 months, deploying three cross-functional squads integrated directly into ITV’s Agile ecosystem. Utilising Swift, Kotlin and tvOS, our teams focused on engineering excellence – implementing adaptive video playback, buffering optimisation and robust DRM protection to guarantee flawless viewing quality during high-traffic premieres.
Crucially, our delivery balanced technical scale with commercial growth. We engineered enhanced discovery features to differentiate between free and premium content, while simultaneously building new upsell pages and optimising registration flows to drive conversions. The implementation of user profiles and a dedicated "Kids" homepage further ensured a personalised, safe experience that drove retention across all demographics.
Our squads were fully integrated into ITV's product teams and ways of working, ensuring we delivered with agility and a deep understanding of their culture.
Candyspace provide a high level of technical and creative delivery expertise, allowing ITV apps to grow in line with business and customer expectations.
Innovation and impact
Candyspace's involvement was defined by our deep expertise and product-led innovation. Our teams were integral to the launch and ongoing development of ITVX, delivering a world-class streaming service that has resulted in a significant uplift in key performance indicators and a shift in ITV's digital standing.
The impact of our work is evidenced by the following results:
ITVX achieved 1 billion streams in its first four months, compared to 7 months previously. Total streaming hours have grown 45% since launch.
Monthly active users (MAUs) have increased by 37% since launch. As of H1 2025, ITVX had 14.3 million MAUs.
ITVX has outpaced all other major streaming platforms in terms of viewer hour growth since its launch, making it the fastest-growing streaming platform in the UK
Overall digital revenues improved 19% in 2023 versus 2022, and grew 12% in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024.
Candyspace continue to be engaged by ITV, with a team of 24 split across three product squads continuing to evolve and develop ITVX on iOS, Android and Apple TV.
