The cult noughties drama is the latest ITV show to join the streamer’s line-up.
Cult favourite drama Footballers’ Wives is headed to BritBox later this month, the streaming service has announced.
First broadcast on ITV back in 2002, the series primarily follows the dramatic lives of Tanya Turner (Zoë Lucker), Jackie Pascoe (Gillian Taylforth) and their partners playing for the fictional Earls Park Football Club.
The show was a major hit when it first premiered – at a time when real-life football couples like David and Victoria Beckham were massively popular – regularly drawing in strong viewership across its first four series.
It spawned a spin-off show, Footballers’ Wives: Extra Time on ITV2, which will also be added to BritBox along with the original series from Thursday 26th August 2021.
BritBox said Footballers’ Wives has been “one of the most frequently requested” shows since the UK service launched, meaning the addition of every episode ever produced should be great news for subscribers.
In addition to Lucker and Taylforth, the cast also saw performances from Alison Newman (Endeavour), Laila Rouass (Safe) and Gary Lucy (EastEnders) in a five-series run that ended in 2006.
The show was notable for crossing over with another hit ITV series, prison drama Bad Girls, when Tanya Turner is sent down for six months on a charge of drug possession in a story arc set shortly after the third series of Footballers’ Wives.
The show was cancelled in 2006 after its fifth series, but has retained a strong fanbase, with many taking to Twitter to celebrate the news of its addition to BritBox.
One fan wrote: “They’re talking about Footballers’ Wives on This Morning and I swear there’s never been – and never will be – another TV programme like that. Iconic.”
They’re talking about Footballers’ Wives on This Morning and I swear there’s never been – and never will be – another tv programme like that. Iconic.
— Natalie Kershaw (@nataliekershaw_) August 18, 2021
Another user added: “Will I be subscribing to BritBox to watch Footballers’ Wives again… You’re f***ing right I will”.
BritBox is a streaming service set up by the BBC and ITV, which currently charges a subscription fee of £5.99 per month. The platform’s first original drama series, The Beast Must Die, debuted earlier this year.
Footballers’ Wives is available to stream on BritBox from Thursday 26th August. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.