Itv
ITV is commissioning across factual, drama, and format entertainment while absorbing £35m in temporary cost savings and positioning its slate around the 2026 Men's Football World Cup.
Each signal is one documented data point captured by our continuous pipeline: a trade-press mention, festival market activity, executive statement, or acquisition activity update. Higher signal volume means Itv is generating more public market activity right now.
"We continue to expect to outperform the broadcast advertising market in Q4, and have a strong programme slate for Q4 and into 2026, including the men's 2026 Football World Cup."
ITV is actively commissioning across factual entertainment, drama, and format television while managing a deliberate period of cost discipline. The broadcaster has identified £35m in temporary savings in Q4 2025 within its Media and Entertainment business, including £20m in content savings achieved by moving some programming into 2026. Recent landmark commissions include the final two-part installment of the long-running "Up" documentary series, "70 Up," greenlit by Sue Murphy (Head of Factual Entertainment Commissioning) and Jo Clinton-Davis (Controller of Factual ITV), alongside the six-part lunar thriller "First Woman" starring Andrea Riseborough and Ashley Walters, and a seventh season plus four stand-alone films of detective drama "Grace." The broadcaster has also secured broadcast rights for England Women's football team matches and is building toward the men's 2026 Football World Cup as a centrepiece of its near-term schedule.
Over the past twelve months, ITV's commissioning pattern reflects a dual-track strategy: prestige factual and documentary titles anchored to UK cultural figures and sporting narratives, alongside returning entertainment formats and drama series. Commissions in this window include "Freddie Flintoff's Mission: Nepal," "Gary Barlow's Food and Wine Tour: New Zealand," a UK version of the crazy golf format "Holey Moley," a second season of "I'm a Celebrity... South Africa," and the four-part drama "Mavis Eccleston." ITV Studios, the production and distribution arm, reported 11% revenue growth with external revenue up 20%, driven by deliveries to global streaming platforms including Apple TV+ and Peacock. Digital ad revenue via ITVX rose 15% in the nine months to September 30, 2025, with total streaming hours up 14%, signalling continued investment in the platform's content pipeline.
Access to ITV's commissioning teams runs through its established genre controllers. Sue Murphy and Jo Clinton-Davis are the documented decision-makers on factual and factual entertainment. With 96 decision-makers tracked across the organisation and a deal velocity of 2 signals in the past 30 days, the commissioning pipeline remains active but selective. Producers approaching ITV should align pitches to the broadcaster's stated priorities: sports documentary and biography, prestige UK cultural factual, mental health and human interest narratives tied to sporting events, and returnable drama and format entertainment for the linear and ITVX platforms.
70 Up
70 Up (final two-part installment of 'Up' series)
Ant and Dec three-year ITV contract
Broadcast rights for England Women’s football team matches
First Woman
Freddie Flintoff's Mission: Nepal
Gary Barlow's Food & Wine Tour: New Zealand
Grace Season 7 and four stand-alone films
"We continue to expect to outperform the broadcast advertising market in Q4, and have a strong programme slate for Q4 and into 2026, including the men's 2026 Football World Cup."
Broadcasters commissioning sports documentaries timed to major sporting events (World Cup); mental health narratives gaining prominence in sports documentary space
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Does ITV accept unsolicited scripts or pitches?
ITV does not operate an open-door unsolicited submissions policy for independent writers. Pitches are typically routed through established production companies with existing ITV relationships. Factual and factual entertainment commissions are handled by named controllers including Sue Murphy (Head of Factual Entertainment Commissioning) and Jo Clinton-Davis (Controller of Factual ITV). Writers are strongly advised to attach a producing partner before approaching the network. ITV Studios, the in-house production arm, is a separate route but similarly relationship-driven.
What budgets does ITV commission at?
ITV has not publicly disclosed per-title budgets for recent commissions, and all acquisitions in the current tracked window are listed as budget not disclosed. The broadcaster's total content budget for 2025 is expected to be around £1.21bn across its full slate. ITV has identified £20m in content savings by deferring some programming into 2026, suggesting active budget management at the slate level. Producers should expect rigorous cost scrutiny given the broadcaster's stated focus on 'laser-focused strategic cost management' during the current advertising market softness.
Does ITV acquire films or projects from festivals?
ITV's recent acquisition and commissioning activity does not show a documented pattern of festival-driven acquisitions in the current tracked window. The broadcaster's focus is on commissioned and co-produced content for its linear and ITVX platforms, with ITV Studios separately active in producing content for global streaming platforms including Apple TV+ and Peacock. Factual and documentary acquisitions appear to be driven by editorial relationships rather than festival discovery, though prestige documentary titles with strong UK cultural relevance remain a stated priority.
How do I reach ITV's commissioning team?
ITV's commissioning structure is publicly documented by genre. Sue Murphy (Head of Factual Entertainment Commissioning) and Jo Clinton-Davis (Controller of Factual ITV) are the confirmed decision-makers on factual titles, as evidenced by the '70 Up' commission. ScriptMatch tracks 96 decision-makers across the ITV organisation. The broadcaster's commissioning guidelines are available via its official commissioning portal. Given the current cost-management environment, pitches with a clear fit to ITV's stated priorities, sports documentary, UK cultural factual, and returnable drama, are most likely to gain traction.
What genres is ITV prioritising right now?
ITV's current commissioning activity spans sports documentary and biography, prestige factual tied to UK cultural figures, mental health and human interest narratives connected to sporting events, returnable detective drama (Grace Season 7 plus four stand-alone films), format entertainment (Holey Moley UK), and event drama (First Woman, a six-part lunar thriller). The broadcaster is also building its schedule around the men's 2026 Football World Cup and holds broadcast rights for England Women's football matches, making sports-adjacent content a near-term editorial priority.
Is ITV currently active in acquisitions and commissions?
Yes. ITV recorded 10 unique deals in the 90-day window and a deal velocity of 2 signals in the most recent 30-day period, with the latest signal dated May 23, 2026. Recent commissions include First Woman (six-part drama, ordered April 2026), Grace Season 7 and four stand-alone films (April 2026), Holey Moley UK (April 2026), and Mavis Eccleston (four-part drama, production beginning Bristol June 2026). The broadcaster is managing a period of deliberate cost discipline but has confirmed it does not anticipate temporary savings to impact delivery of its strategic plan.
Profile compiled from publicly-available sources: trade press (Deadline, Variety, IndieWire, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Daily), festival market reports (Cannes Marche, AFM, EFM, TIFF Industry), executive public statements, and acquisition announcements. Activity counters reflect signal volume from continuous pipeline indexing.
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