ITV viewers warned as the popular streaming service is quietly axed

ITV has quietly axed its Catchup channel on Amazon’s Prime Video, leaving fans stunned.

The ITV Catchup channel, formerly known as ITV Hub+, allowed Prime Video viewers to avoid ads more cheaply.

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For ad haters, the Prime Video version was cheaper than a full ITVX Premium subscription – and it gave them access to more content.

For £3.99 per month on top of their Prime subscription, subscribers could access ITV’s biggest hits without ad interruption alongside Amazon’s own library of shows and films.

ITV Catchup on Prime Video also allows viewers with older devices to watch content that is now only on ITVX.

ITVX is ITV’s sparkling – relatively new – streaming app, which launched at the end of 2022.

The move leaves ITVX as the broadcaster’s only destination to catch up on missed shows.

However, ITVX is currently not available on some older TVs.

A range of Humax Freeview and Freesat boxes, as well as certain models of Samsung Smart TVs, cannot support the new ITVX app.

ITVX also does not work on some older iPhones and iPads.

For viewers with older television boxes, ITV Catchup on Prime Video was the only way to watch ITV without an Amazon Fire Stick or Google Chromecast.

It appears to be another attempt by ITV to streamline its services and channels.

Last year the CITV channel closed down after 17 years on screen and went online-only with ITVX Kids.

The broadcaster also joined the BBC in dismantling its standard definition channels, including ITV3, ITV4 and ITVBe, in early January.

These channels are now only available in high definition, on HD-supported TVs.

It also allows ITV to increase its own subscriptions to ITVX Premium, which costs £5.99 per month to remove ads and watch BritBox and Studio Canal Presents content.

Without Catchup on Prime Video, viewers will need to upgrade their TV or purchase compatible streaming devices such as a Fire Stick.