👋 Hello couch potatoes, stream switchers, and Disney adults with a thing for gritty British drama.
While the rest of the industry is out here flogging AI-generated trailers and recycling IP like it's 2015, Disney and ITV have decided to do something radical... share.
Yes, the world’s most American brand just partnered with the UK’s most Aldi Prosecco on a Thursday night broadcaster.
The result? A bizarrely brilliant cultural exchange programme where Phineas and Ferb rubs elbows with Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Love Island struts into the land of Baby Yoda.
No, you haven’t hit your head. This is real. And it kicks off 16 July.
🍿 Cross-Streaming is the New Crossover
Disney+ UK and ITVX are launching a “Taste Of” content exchange that’ll rotate around 70–100 hours of premium shows every two months. The ambition? Reach new eyeballs without actually spending more on originals.
Disney+ gets British grit – Expect BAFTA-winning dramas, ITV reality royalty, and the odd pub fight disguised as a quiz show.
ITVX gets US sparkle – Think Only Murders, The Bear, Andor, and whatever The Kardashians are still doing in front of a camera.
It’s like Tinder for content. Swipe in, stay a while, rotate, repeat.
💰 Ads, But Make Them Tactical
Naturally, someone’s got to sell the popcorn.
ITV will flog the ad space for Disney+ shows on ITVX.
Disney handles ads for ITV shows on the Standard With Ads Disney+ tier.
If you’re posh enough to pay for ITVX Premium? No ads for you. Congratulations on your excellent taste and disposable income.
📈 Why This Deal Actually Matters
Aside from the meme potential of Love Island next to Andor, this is a quietly seismic shift in how streamers play ball.
Audience expansion on both sides – Disney gets Boomers. ITV gets Gen Z. Everyone wins.
A new monetisation model – Rotating, curated content = fewer licensing fees and less churn.
A blueprint for others – Expect Channel 4 to be on the phone to Max any minute now.
Also, ITV Studios is already producing original content for Disney+ (like Rivals and Suspect), so this isn’t just a fling. It’s giving… soft launch to strategic alliance.
🤔 What’s In It for You?
For media planners, this is catnip.
New inventory to pitch in your next deck.
Ad slots that sit within premium tentpole content.
Smarter audience mapping across cross-demographic viewership.
Translation: your client’s incontinence pad ad could now run before The Bear. Don't say we didn’t warn you.
🧠 Final Thought – This Isn’t Just Nostalgia
This isn’t about flinging back-catalogue junk onto each other’s servers. It’s about survival. With streaming fatigue rising, subscriber growth stalling, and Netflix watching from the bushes, the smartest players are now collaborating, not competing.
In 2025, it’s not just about owning the best content. It’s about owning when, where, and how someone sees it.
ITV and Disney? They've just redrawn the map.
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And forward it to that colleague who still thinks Netflix has no ads.
Until next time, folks!