CITV channel to close as ITVX Kids streaming service launches

British broadcaster ITV has announced its children’s TV channel CITV will close on 1 September after more than 40 years.

It will be replaced by an online streaming platform ITVX Kids.

ITV said it had made the decision to become digital first because many children and adults were moving towards streaming and viewing TV content via the internet.

The TV channel has been home to some of the UK’s favourite cartoons and shows for more than four decades – including programmes such as Mr Bean, My Parents are Aliens, Scooby Doo and Inspector Gadget.

The CITV channel is aimed at five to 12 year olds, but many viewers are increasingly using internet and streaming services to watch their favourite shows at times that suit them.

This is different to traditional TV viewing where people watch programmes when they are scheduled on the channel – known as “appointment to view” TV.

ITVX streaming service launched in 2022 and aims to take a “digital first” approach to making new TV content, to allow kids to watch their favourite shows “however they want to watch it”.

ITV told Sky News: “This new streaming approach [is] responding to the changing ways children and their parents are increasingly accessing content.” BBC