Buyer Database · Buyer / Distributor · Updated
ITV Studios
ITV Studios is a global content studio and distributor expanding its international production footprint through targeted acquisitions, with a growing emphasis on Spanish-language scripted, premium factual, and returnable format programming.
Current mandate
ITV Studios occupies a distinctive position in the global content market: it functions simultaneously as a prolific production group, a rights owner, and an international distributor with reach across hundreds of broadcasters and streamers worldwide. The company's most recent strategic move was the acquisition of a majority stake in Spanish scripted production company Plano a Plano, whose credits include the Disney+ heist series Suspicious Minds and two titles currently in production for Netflix. Managing director of international production Lisa Perrin framed the deal as part of a broader conviction that the Spanish-language scripted market is "burgeoning with opportunity," and the acquisition slots Plano a Plano alongside existing Iberian assets ITV Studios Iberia and scripted label Cattleya Producciones.
The acquisition pattern across the past several years reflects a deliberate strategy of building out a portfolio of specialist production labels rather than relying solely on organic growth. Named additions to the group have included Moonage Pictures, Eagle Eye Drama, Hartswood Films, Quay Street Productions, Happy Prince, Poison Pen Studios, and Plimsoll Productions, the last of which was described in trade press as a $126M capture driven by premium factual ambitions. On the commissioning side, recent activity spans comedy-detective drama (Ludwig Season 3, commissioned for BBC One and BBC iPlayer), black comedy (Rivals Season 3, greenlit by Disney+), factual entertainment (Educating Yorkshire new season, The Great ADHD Myth? for Channel 4), and format exports (The Chase Around the World). A catalog deal covering more than 290 hours of unscripted content from the ITV Studios library also closed in the recent period, underscoring the scale of the distribution operation alongside the production business.
Material reaches ITV Studios through multiple documented routes. The company's distribution arm, which includes the Zoo 55 social and FAST channel operation, actively acquires third-party content to complement its own catalog across global broadcaster and streamer clients. Production commissions flow through the group's individual labels, each with its own creative leadership. No unsolicited submission pathway is documented in tracked deal activity; the observable routes run through sales agents, co-production partners, and broadcaster relationships. Screenwriters and producers seeking access are most likely to find traction through one of the group's named production labels or through a sales representative with existing broadcaster relationships.
Signature peaks
- 8+ Labels Production Labels Acquired — Named additions to the ITV Studios group include Moonage Pictures, Eagle Eye Drama, Hartswood Films, Quay Street Productions, Happy Prince, Poison Pen Studios, Plimsoll Productions, and Plano a Plano.
- 290+ Hours Unscripted Catalog Deal — A recent catalog acquisition covered more than 290 hours of unscripted content from the ITV Studios library.
- $126M Premium Factual Acquisition — Trade press described ITV Studios' capture of Plimsoll Productions as a $126M deal driven by premium factual ambitions.
Mandate dimensions
- Genre focus
- Not disclosed
- Territory focus
- Not disclosed
- Budget tier (observed)
- Not disclosed
- Access pattern
- Tracked deals show material reaching ITV Studios primarily through its portfolio of named production labels, each with dedicated creative leadership, and through broadcaster commissioning relationships with partners including BBC, Channel 4, Netflix, and Disney+. The group's Zoo 55 distribution arm acquires third-party content for its global network of broadcasters, streamers, and FAST channels, representing a secondary documented route for completed programming.
- Deal structure
- ITV Studios structures activity across majority-stake and full acquisitions of production companies, broadcaster commissions for original series and formats, international distribution rights deals for catalog and new titles, and co-production arrangements with partners such as Dynamic Television and RTVE.
Recent acquisitions
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Educating Yorkshire (new season)
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Ludwig Season 3
has been commissioned for a third run on BBC iPlayer and BBC One
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Moonage Pictures
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more than 290 hours of unscripted content from ITV Studios catalog (individual titles not specified)
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Plano a Plano (majority stake)
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Plimsoll Productions
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Rivals Season 3
Disney+ has greenlit a third season of raunchy black comedy series Rivals ahead of the conclusion of its second run.
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Skyclimber: Scaling the Eiffel Tower
Channel 4 has commissioned feature-length climbing documentary Skyclimber: Scaling the Eiffel Tower
Market context
ITV Studios is building a genuinely multinational production empire, with its Plano a Plano acquisition signaling serious intent in the fast-growing Spanish-language scripted market.
ITV Studios occupies a distinctive position in the global content market: it functions simultaneously as a prolific production group, a rights owner, and an international distributor with reach across hundreds of broadcasters and streamers worldwide. The company's most recent strategic move was the acquisition of a majority stake in Spanish scripted production company Plano a Plano, whose credits include the Disney+ heist series Suspicious Minds and two titles currently in production for Netflix. Managing director of international production Lisa Perrin framed the deal as part of a broader conviction that the Spanish-language scripted market is "burgeoning with opportunity," and the acquisition slots Plano a Plano alongside existing Iberian assets ITV Studios Iberia and scripted label Cattleya Producciones.
Common questions about ITV Studios
Does ITV Studios accept unsolicited scripts?
No unsolicited submission pathway is documented in ScriptMatch's tracked deal activity for ITV Studios. The observable routes by which material reaches the group run through sales agents, co-production partners, and established broadcaster relationships. ITV Studios operates through a portfolio of named production labels, each with its own creative leadership, and writers are most likely to find traction by approaching one of those individual labels or working through a representative.
What budget levels does ITV Studios typically work at?
ITV Studios operates across a wide range of budget tiers, from returnable entertainment formats and factual commissions through to high-end scripted drama. The group's $126M acquisition of Plimsoll Productions signals serious investment at the premium factual end. Scripted productions through labels like Plano a Plano are landing on Netflix and Disney+, suggesting mid-to-high budget scripted capability. Individual budgets on specific commissions are not publicly disclosed in recent deal records.
What festivals does ITV Studios source content from?
ScriptMatch's tracked deal data does not document a specific festival acquisition circuit for ITV Studios. The company's growth strategy has centered on acquiring production companies and commissioning content through broadcaster relationships rather than festival-floor pickups. That said, the group's distribution arm, which includes Zoo 55, actively supplies content to hundreds of broadcasters and streamers globally, and festival-premiered titles could plausibly enter that pipeline through sales agent relationships.
How do I get my script in front of ITV Studios?
The most documented route is through ITV Studios' individual production labels, each of which has its own creative team and commissioning relationships. Recent label additions include Moonage Pictures, Hartswood Films, Happy Prince, Poison Pen Studios, and Spanish scripted outfit Plano a Plano. A sales agent or producer with existing broadcaster relationships is the most reliable access point. No open submission portal or fellowship program is documented in current ScriptMatch data.
What genres is ITV Studios currently acquiring?
Recent commissioning and acquisition activity spans Spanish-language scripted drama (via Plano a Plano, with titles on Netflix and Disney+), black comedy and drama (Rivals Season 3 on Disney+), comedy-detective drama (Ludwig Season 3 on BBC One), premium factual and documentary (Skyclimber, The Great ADHD Myth?, Educating Yorkshire), and returnable quiz formats (The Chase Around the World). The group's exec quote specifically flags eye-catching programming that travels across global broadcasters and streamers.
Is ITV Studios currently active in the market?
Yes. ScriptMatch records 114 total signals in the past 12 months, with 6 unique deals tracked in the past 90 days and the latest signal dated August 2026. Recent activity includes the majority-stake acquisition of Plano a Plano, commissions for BBC One, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, and Disney+, and a catalog deal covering more than 290 hours of unscripted content. The company's Zoo 55 distribution operation is also actively expanding its FAST channel and social media footprint.
Adjacent buyers in this lane
- Beta Cinema — Beta Cinema is a Munich-based international sales agent specializing in arthouse and literary-adapta
- Starz — Starz is a premium cable and streaming network doubling down on wholly owned scripted drama and inte
- Cineflix Rights — Cineflix Rights is a genre-focused international distributor and co-production financier specializin
- Filmax — Filmax is a Spanish distributor and co-producer with a long track record in genre cinema, currently
Related reading
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