Buyer Database · Buyer / Distributor · Updated

ITV Studios

ITV Studios is a global content studio and distributor supplying scripted, unscripted, and format programming to hundreds of broadcasters and streamers worldwide, with a sharpened focus on breakout IP and culturally resonant storytelling.

Current mandate

ITV Studios occupies a prominent position in the global content marketplace, operating as both a prolific production house and an international distributor supplying programming to hundreds of broadcasters and streamers. The company's distribution arm, which includes the Zoo 55 label, extends its reach through a growing suite of social media and FAST channels, giving acquired titles audience touchpoints well beyond conventional broadcast windows. Executives have publicly signalled that breaking new IP has been difficult in recent years but that the pipeline is now strengthening, making this a notable moment for the company's scripted ambitions in particular.

Across the recent acquisition and commissioning cycle, ITV Studios has demonstrated a broad genre appetite spanning comedy-detective drama (Ludwig Season 3, commissioned for BBC iPlayer and BBC One), black comedy drama (Rivals Season 3, greenlit by Disney+), factual entertainment (Educating Yorkshire new season), documentary (Skyclimber: Scaling the Eiffel Tower; The Great ADHD Myth?), lifestyle factual (Twice the Food, Half the Price), food and travelogue (Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy), and quiz formats (The Chase Around the World). On the unscripted side, a catalog deal covering more than 290 hours of content signals continued appetite for volume distribution alongside individual title commissions. The Mipcom/Cannes slate, headlined by titles including Frauds, Betrayal, Two Weeks in August, A Taste for Murder, and Love Island: Beyond the Villa, reflects a deliberate mix of escapist entertainment and socially engaged non-scripted content.

Material reaches ITV Studios through a combination of established broadcaster relationships, sales agent partnerships, and co-production arrangements with its network of production labels. The company's international distribution activity is observable through multi-territory deals: "Operation Dark Phone: Murder By Text," for instance, was acquired by broadcasters across Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and the Netherlands and Luxembourg ahead of a major market. No unsolicited pathway is documented in tracked deal activity; every observed route runs through production label relationships, broadcaster commissions, or established distribution partnerships.

Signature peaks

  • 77M Impressions Peacock Record Premiere — Love Island: Beyond the Villa generated 77 million social impressions in its first week and set a Peacock record for unscripted original series premieres.
  • 290+ Hours Unscripted Catalog Scale — A single catalog deal covering more than 290 hours of unscripted ITV Studios content illustrates the company's volume distribution capacity.
  • 6 Broadcasters Multi-Territory Speed — Operation Dark Phone: Murder By Text was acquired by six international broadcasters across five countries ahead of a major market.

Mandate dimensions

Genre focus
drama, crime, thriller, comedy-drama, political drama, sci-fi/lunar drama
Territory focus
international
Budget tier (observed)
Not disclosed
Access pattern
Every tracked deal involving ITV Studios runs through broadcaster commissions, established production label relationships, or international distribution partnerships, including the company's Zoo 55 label, which supplies content to hundreds of broadcasters and streamers globally as well as through FAST and social channels. No unsolicited pathway is documented in ScriptMatch's observed deal activity.
Deal structure
ITV Studios operates across international distribution rights acquisitions, broadcaster commissions (including multi-territory pre-buys), and catalog volume deals, with distribution executed through both conventional broadcast windows and a growing suite of FAST and social media channels via its Zoo 55 label.

Recent acquisitions

  • Catch Us

    2026-09-21T09:20:03.461Z · commissioned
    new commissions from TV4 in Sweden and ProSieben in Germany, alongside adaptations in the Netherlands and Hungary.

  • Caught in the Middle

    2026-09-21T09:20:03.461Z · commissioned
    returning for a second season in the Netherlands. It has also been adapted in Spain for Atresmedia and Australia for Seven Network.

  • Educating Yorkshire (new season)

    2026-08-03T00:00:00.000Z · commissioned

  • Let's Play Ball

    2026-09-21T09:20:03.461Z · commissioned
    Let's Play Ball has since secured commissions in French-speaking Canada and Finland.

  • Ludwig Season 3

    2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z · commissioned
    has been commissioned for a third run on BBC iPlayer and BBC One

  • Moonage Pictures

    2025-04-01T00:00:00.000Z · Acquired

  • more than 290 hours of unscripted content from ITV Studios catalog (individual titles not specified)

    2025-10-23T00:00:00.000Z · Acquired

  • Most Wanted

    2026-09-21T09:20:03.461Z · commissioned
    Most Wanted is expanding with new commissions in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania.

Market context

ITV Studios is betting on a stronger pipeline of "brilliant new IP" after years of tough going, while its social and FAST channel reach gives acquired content a second life beyond traditional broadcast.

Leaning into crime and thriller series, consistent with strong international demand for UK crime drama; also pursuing prestige drama adaptations and political comedy-drama

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. Every observed deal flows through broadcaster commissions, established production label relationships, or distribution partnerships. That absence of a documented open-call route is not a definitive closed door, but writers without existing industry relationships should focus on attaching a producer or production company already working within the ITV Studios network before approaching the company.

What budgets does ITV Studios typically work at?

Budget figures are not disclosed in ITV Studios' tracked deal activity. The company's slate spans primetime broadcaster commissions (BBC One, BBC iPlayer, ITV, Channel 4, Disney+, Peacock) and international catalog deals, suggesting a wide range from factual documentary to premium scripted drama. The consistent absence of disclosed budgets across recent commissions means writers should treat budget tier as negotiable and dependent on broadcaster attachment rather than a fixed ITV Studios threshold.

What festivals does ITV Studios source content from?

ITV Studios is an active participant at Mipcom/Cannes, where it takes a substantial scripted and non-scripted slate to market each cycle. Recent Mipcom slates have included titles such as Frauds, Betrayal, Two Weeks in August, A Taste for Murder, and Love Island: Beyond the Villa. The company's distribution arm also closes multi-territory deals ahead of major markets, as seen with Operation Dark Phone: Murder By Text, which was acquired by six international broadcasters before a recent Mipcom.

How do I get my script in front of ITV Studios?

Tracked deal activity shows material reaching ITV Studios through production label relationships, broadcaster commissions, and established distribution partnerships. The company's Zoo 55 distribution label works with hundreds of broadcasters and streamers globally, and its growing FAST and social channel portfolio creates additional windows for acquired content. Writers are best positioned by attaching a producer or production company already operating within the ITV Studios ecosystem, or by securing a broadcaster commission that ITV Studios can then distribute internationally.

What genres is ITV Studios currently acquiring?

ITV Studios' recent commissioning and distribution activity spans comedy-detective drama (Ludwig Season 3), black comedy drama (Rivals Season 3), factual entertainment (Educating Yorkshire), documentary (Skyclimber: Scaling the Eiffel Tower; The Great ADHD Myth?), lifestyle factual (Twice the Food, Half the Price), food and travelogue (Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy), and quiz formats (The Chase Around the World). Executives have also flagged escapism, distinctive tone, cultural relevance, and cross-generational co-viewing as active editorial priorities.

Is ITV Studios currently active in the market?

Yes. ScriptMatch tracks 105 total records for ITV Studios over the past 12 months, with 4 unique deals in the past 90 days and a latest signal dated September 2026. The company took a substantial slate to Mipcom/Cannes and has active commissions across BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Disney+, and Peacock. Executives have publicly described the new IP pipeline as strengthening after a difficult period, suggesting increased acquisition activity in the near term.

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Related reading

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