Buyer Database · Buyer / Distributor · Updated
Itv
ITV is the UK's largest commercial broadcaster, commissioning and distributing original drama, factual, and entertainment content while navigating a period of cost discipline and digital growth through ITVX.
Current mandate
ITV occupies a commanding position in the UK commercial broadcasting landscape, operating both as a commissioner-broadcaster and, through ITV Studios, as a global content producer supplying major streaming platforms. The company's total revenue in the nine months to September 2025 rose 2% to £2.79bn, with ITV Studios external revenue up 20%, reflecting strong demand from global streaming partners. That production-side momentum is running alongside a period of deliberate cost management on the broadcast side: ITV identified £35m in temporary savings in Q4 2025 within its Media and Entertainment business, including £20m in content savings achieved by shifting some programming into 2026. The total content budget for 2025 is expected to be around £1.21bn.
Across recent commissioning activity, ITV has shown a clear appetite for returning drama franchises, high-profile factual, and entertainment formats. The six-part lunar thriller "First Woman," starring Andrea Riseborough and Ashley Walters, represents the kind of ambitious original scripted drama the network is pursuing, while the long-running detective series "Grace" has been renewed for a seventh season alongside four stand-alone films. On the factual side, the final installment of the landmark "Up" documentary series, "70 Up," was commissioned by head of factual entertainment commissioning Sue Murphy and controller of Factual Jo Clinton-Davis. Entertainment formats remain a staple, with "Celebrity Catchphrase" renewed for a 12th season from STV Studios and a UK adaptation of the US format "Holey Moley" ordered. ITV Studios' Q3 2025 deliveries included "The Reluctant Traveller S3" for Apple TV+ and "Love Island Games" for Peacock, illustrating the breadth of its international production relationships.
Material reaches ITV primarily through established production company relationships and the network's own commissioning infrastructure, with named commissioners such as Sue Murphy and Jo Clinton-Davis publicly attached to specific orders. International distribution of ITV content travels via All3Media International. No open submission portal or public-facing writer programme is documented in tracked deal activity; every observed commission traces to a production company or in-house studio relationship.
Signature peaks
- +11% Studios Revenue Growth — ITV Studios revenue grew 11% in the nine months to September 2025, with external revenue up 20%.
- +15% ITVX Digital Ad Revenue — Digital ad revenue via ITVX rose 15% in the nine months to September 2025, with total streaming hours up 14%.
- £35m Q4 2025 Cost Savings — ITV identified £35m in temporary savings in Q4 2025, including £20m from shifting content into 2026.
Mandate dimensions
- Genre focus
- Not disclosed
- Territory focus
- Not disclosed
- Budget tier (observed)
- Not disclosed
- Access pattern
- Every tracked commission traces to a named production company or ITV Studios in-house relationship, with commissioners such as Sue Murphy and Jo Clinton-Davis publicly credited on specific orders. International distribution of ITV-originated content is observed to travel via All3Media International; no open submission portal or public writer programme is documented in tracked deal activity.
- Deal structure
- ITV primarily operates through direct commissions to production companies and in-house ITV Studios productions, acquiring broadcast rights for the UK market while ITV Studios separately licenses content to global streaming platforms including Apple TV+ and Peacock. Rights acquisitions such as broadcast rights for England Women's football matches also feature in the tracked deal record.
Recent acquisitions
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70 Up
'70 Up' has been commissioned by Sue Murphy, head of factual entertainment commissioning ITV and Jo Clinton-Davis, controller of Factual ITV.
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70 Up (final two-part installment of 'Up' series)
'70 Up' has been commissioned by Sue Murphy, head of factual entertainment commissioning ITV and Jo Clinton-Davis, controller of Factual ITV.
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Broadcast rights for England Women’s football team matches
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Catch Us
new commissions from TV4 in Sweden and ProSieben in Germany, alongside adaptations in the Netherlands and Hungary.
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Caught in the Middle
returning for a second season in the Netherlands. It has also been adapted in Spain for Atresmedia and Australia for Seven Network.
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Celebrity Catchphrase Season 12
Celebrity Catchphrase has been commissioned for a 12th season by ITV from production company STV Studios
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First Woman
ITV has ordered six-part lunar thriller First Woman, starring Andrea Riseborough and Ashley Walters
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Fletchers' Family Farm Season 2
ITV1 and ITVBe have commissioned a second season of Fletchers' Family Farm
Market context
With a total content budget of around £1.21bn and ITV Studios revenue up 11%, ITV is actively commissioning originals even as it tightens spend across its linear broadcast business.
ITV occupies a commanding position in the UK commercial broadcasting landscape, operating both as a commissioner-broadcaster and, through ITV Studios, as a global content producer supplying major streaming platforms. The company's total revenue in the nine months to September 2025 rose 2% to £2.79bn, with ITV Studios external revenue up 20%, reflecting strong demand from global streaming partners. That production-side momentum is running alongside a period of deliberate cost management on the broadcast side: ITV identified £35m in temporary savings in Q4 2025 within its Media and Entertainment business, including £20m in content savings achieved by shifting some programming into 2026. The total content budget for 2025 is expected to be around £1.21bn.
Common questions about Itv
Does ITV accept unsolicited scripts from unrepresented writers?
No unsolicited pathway is documented in ScriptMatch's tracked deal activity. Every observed commission traces to a named production company or an in-house ITV Studios relationship. Named commissioners such as Sue Murphy (head of factual entertainment commissioning) and Jo Clinton-Davis (controller of Factual) are publicly attached to specific orders, suggesting that the standard route is through an established production partner rather than a direct writer submission.
What budget level does ITV typically commission at?
Individual commission budgets are not disclosed in ITV's public deal announcements. What is documented is that ITV's total content budget for 2025 is expected to be around £1.21bn across its full slate of drama, factual, and entertainment programming. The network has also identified £35m in temporary savings for Q4 2025, including £20m from deferring some content into 2026, signalling active cost discipline at the slate level.
What festivals does ITV source content from?
ITV's commissioning activity, as tracked by ScriptMatch, does not show a documented pattern of festival-driven acquisitions in the way that specialist film distributors operate. The broadcaster sources primarily through production company relationships and format adaptations. Its content focus currently centres on police drama, crime thriller, 6x60-minute original scripted drama, and returning entertainment formats, suggesting commissioning decisions are made through development pipelines rather than festival markets.
How do I get my script in front of ITV commissioners?
The most clearly documented route is through a production company with an existing ITV relationship. Recent commissions such as 'First Woman' and 'Grace' Season 7 came via established production partnerships, and 'Celebrity Catchphrase' Season 12 was commissioned directly from STV Studios. International distribution of ITV content travels via All3Media International. No open writer portal or public-facing development programme is documented in tracked deal data.
What genres is ITV currently commissioning?
ITV's current content focus, per its latest signal, is police drama, crime thriller, 6x60-minute original scripted drama, and factual entertainment. Recent orders reflect this: the six-part lunar thriller 'First Woman' starring Andrea Riseborough, the returning detective series 'Grace' Season 7 plus four stand-alone films, and factual commissions including '70 Up' and 'Freddie Flintoff: Understanding Tourette's.' Entertainment formats such as 'Celebrity Catchphrase' Season 12 and a UK 'Holey Moley' adaptation round out the slate.
Is ITV actively commissioning new projects right now?
Yes. ScriptMatch records 151 total signals in the past 12 months and 3 unique deals in the most recent 30-day window, with the latest signal dated September 2026. ITV Studios revenue grew 11% in the nine months to September 2025, with external revenue up 20%, driven by deliveries to Apple TV+, Peacock, and the BBC. While the broadcaster is managing cost savings on the linear side, its commissioning pipeline remains active across drama, factual, and entertainment.
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Related reading
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