ITV Studios kept reporters busy this morning with a slew of deals announced at its press breakfast, including a new vodcast with River Monsters‘ Jeremy Wade, the expansion of The Voice, a new drama label in Australia, and scripted sales.
Ruth Berry, president of global partnerships and Zoo 55 at ITV Studios, prefaced the wealth of announcements with a word about the sale of ITV’s media and entertainment business to Sky. “It protects and secures the future of M&E as a public service broadcaster, and it creates a distinctive pure play global content business in ITV Studios plc,” she said. “The sale is going through regulatory approval at the moment. What I can tell you is, we’re feeling very positive about what it means for the evolution of both of the business areas. We remain focused on the day-to-day, and thanks to that, we’re having another really great year.”
Berry also talked up the success of Love Island, with breakout ratings on Peacock and extensive digital engagement, and reflected on some of the main trends in the media landscape. “We know that audiences continue to fragment, and that advertisers are growing their spend in online video and forming creator and IP partnerships to extend their reach. With the [Zoo 55 and Studio 55] we are absolutely in that game, and we continue to work with all the big social video platforms and now big agencies to make sure fans can access our shows wherever and whenever they want. Another trend we hear is that young people don’t like to watch long-form content. Well, we know that that’s not necessarily true.”
Discussing the engagement around River Monsters—which generated more than 1.74 billion views across social video channels in the past year—Berry revealed that Zoo 55 is partnering with Oxford Scientific Films to launch the new vodcast Fish On! With Jeremy Wade. Co-hosted with Scott Tankard, it launches on Patreon on October 20, followed by rivermonsters.tv, YouTube and podcast platforms on October 27. It will encompass 20 episodes.
Martin Trickey, MD of Zoo 55, said, “We knew how passionate Jeremy’s fanbase was, and how enormous the global audience for fishing content could be, but we could never have imagined how monstrous River Monsters would become in the digital space! Fish On! With Jeremy Wade is a project for his fans and gives them something new to feast on.”
Helen Conlan, EP for Oxford Scientific Films, added, “River Monsters was a phenomenon, and Jeremy Wade became one of the true rock stars of factual television. What makes Jeremy so special is the incredible connection he has with his fans—he’s knowledgeable, charismatic, completely authentic and, above all, hugely entertaining. We’re thrilled to be working with him on Fish On! and to bring that connection to a new generation of fans as we start this next chapter together.”
On the format front, Different Productions (Dubai Bling, Desi Bling) has been tapped to represent a selection of its formats across India and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The deal covers rights for Hindi-language adaptations in India, including The Voice, Love Island, Apocalypse, and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Across MENA, Different Productions will represent nine formats, including I Love My Country, Come Dine with Me, The Heat, and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Tom Clark, EVP for global sales and commercial strategy, global partnerships, at ITV Studios, said, “Different Productions combines deep regional knowledge with proven creative and production expertise.”
Mazen Laham, founder and CEO at Different Productions, added, “These are some of the world’s most distinctive and successful entertainment brands, and we see significant potential to adapt them in ways that resonate with audiences in each market. Building on our success in the Middle East, we are particularly excited to expand our activities in India and work with ITV Studios to unlock the many opportunities the market offers.”
Meanwhile, The Voice has reached its 80th market with Elitaz producing The Voice Estonia for TV3 for broadcast in 2027, following a commission from Macedonian Radio Television (MRT), the public broadcaster of North Macedonia.
Clark stated. “Reaching 80 territories is an extraordinary milestone for The Voice. The show continues to evolve through new on-screen twists, digital partnerships and commissioning models, while remaining true to its mission of giving exceptional voices a platform.”
ITV Studios also revealed new funding models for the show, including 1+1 partnering with Netflix to bring The Voice back to Ukraine after a three-year absence. In Brazil, Disney+ and SBT aligned for a simultaneous broadcast.
Further, the company has expanded its lineup, taking on Incognito, the new reality format from Derren Brown and Vaudeville Productions for Channel 4.
On the scripted front, Sara Richardson is joining ITV Studios from Endemol Shine Australia to set up a new drama label. As MD, she will report to ITV Studios Australia CEO David Mott.
ITV Studios also unveiled a raft of distribution deals for scripted, with presales for Number 10 and Adultery, and the new acquisition of the Sherlock franchise.
Arte has boarded as a co-producer for Number 10, which has also been licensed to HBO Max in Australia, TVNZ, YLE, DR and NRK. From Poison Pen Studios, Adultery has landed presales in 18 countries, including HBO Max in Australia, TVNZ, TV4 in Sweden, and TV2 in Norway. Plus, The Dark has been picked up by broadcasters in 23 countries, including TV4, TV2, MTV3 for Finland, DR, BritBox for Australia, BBC Studios for New Zealand, and Virgin Media Television for Ireland. The Killings at Parrish Station, produced by HELIUM Pictures for Stan in Australia, has been acquired to air in over 70 countries, including deals with Canal+ for the Czech Republic and Slovakia, TV4 for Sweden, TV2 for Norway, TV2 for Denmark, and MTV3 for Finland. Lastly, Tip Toe has been acquired by HBO Max in LatAm.
