Will Scougal has been tapped to lead Studio 55, ITV Studios’ new global brand partnerships segment connecting brands, agencies, and content creators with properties from the ITV Studios portfolio.
Announced this morning at a press breakfast ahead of ITV Studios’ London TV Screenings event, the new division will operate across brand licensing deals, global IP collaborations, and digital-first formats, focused on driving fan engagement and audience development. It sits under the global partnerships segment at ITV Studios, led by Ruth Berry as president of global partnerships and Zoo 55.
Scougal joins ITV Studios as EVP of brand and commercial partnerships after stints at Snapchat and X and the social media agency he co-founded, Make My Day.
Studio 55 will house a centralized brand licensing hub for opportunities across consumer products, live tours, fan experiences and more on franchises like The Voice and Love Island. Several deals for globally franchised ITV Studios IP are to be announced in the coming months.
The segment will also drive partnerships with brands, marketing agencies, and content creators on ITV Studios shows to co-create digital-first formats, beginning with It Started with a Kiss. The celeb-hosted dating podcast is sponsored by Tinder. Studio 55’s digital first formats will be published by the Zoo 55 team, led by Martin Trickey.
In partnership with Mike Beale and the Global Creative Network, Studio 55 will pair brands with the 29 unscripted production companies in the ITV Studios footprint.
“With the launch of Studio 55 and Zoo 55, I feel we are truly set up for the future of entertainment,” Berry said. “We have expanded our infrastructure to allow us to broaden our range of partners to brands, agencies, and creators, as well as licensees. It’s all driven by the desire to meet the fandoms of our franchises where they are, on every platform.”
Scougal added, “In the modern entertainment ecosystem, our ambition for Studio 55 is to help brands become a natural part of the communities fans love and even create fandoms of their own. We want to build partnerships that feel like a natural way to meet people where they are—be that on social, via a consumer product or experience.”
