Renewed partnership between BBC Studios and ZDF
BBC Studios and Germany's ZDF announced today at Content London that they have renewed their long-term strategic partnership on scripted content. The multi-year deal will expand the scope of co-production of scripted television content, with ZDF and BBC Studios partnering to co-produce titles across the BBC Studios content pipeline, the two broadcasters said. The new agreement also extends the first option on pre-sales and acquisitions across the BBC Studios catalog available in Germany. Already confirmed acquisitions include Death in Paradise S13-14, Beyond Paradise S1-2, and The Outlaws S2-3. The original partnership with ZDF was established in 2019. These collaborations include Good Girls' Guide to Killing, The Famous Five Series 1, Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story, and Detective Chelsea.
ITVX hits growth record
ITV's streaming platform ITVX has set a new record number of viewers, according to the broadcaster. The streaming platform has become a fast-growing platform in the UK, according to figures reported by ITV. The broadcaster said ITVX has outperformed all other major streaming platforms in terms of growth in hours watched since its launch – with 35% growth in hours watched in two years, ahead of BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Disney+, Channel 4 and Amazon Prime. The biggest UK audience of 2024 was ITV's coverage of the Euro 2024 match between England and the Netherlands, which peaked with 21.6 million viewers across ITV1 and ITVX. Mr. Bates v. Post Office It is the largest drama audience of 2024 so far, with a total audience of 15.1 million. ITV had 4 of the top 10 new dramas of 2024. Those shows were: Mr. Bates v. Post Office, Red Eye, Til I Kill You and After the flood. The BBC and Netflix each had three. Discussing the record reported today, Kevin Lygo, ITV's managing director of media and entertainment, said: “Two years on, ITVX is now well established as a superior streaming destination, for a wealth of must-see content.”
