In a move that could reshape the streaming landscape in Europe and beyond, Disney and U.K. broadcaster ITV have announced a landmark partnership to share content between their platforms—Disney+ and ITVX. Billed as a “first-of-its-kind initiative,” the deal allows subscribers of both services to access a curated slate of shows from the other, beginning July 16th.
A “Taste of Disney+” and “Taste of ITVX”
Under the new collaboration, around 70 to 100 hours of content from each streamer will be made available on the other’s platform. For Disney+, this means a “Taste of ITVX” hub showcasing popular British titles such as Mr. Bates vs The Post Office, A Spy Among Friends, and select seasons of the reality juggernaut Love Island.
(L-R): Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) in Lucasfilm’s THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT, exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
Meanwhile, ITVX viewers will get access to hit Disney+ titles like The Bear (FX), Andor (Lucasfilm), and Only Murders in the Building, along with reality fare such as The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and The Kardashians.
The collections will be rotated every few months and are included at no additional cost to current subscribers.
Context: Disney+ Is Struggling to Grow
The ITV deal comes at a time when Disney+ is facing mounting pressure. After an early surge during the 2020 lockdowns, subscriber growth has stalled in key markets, and the platform has seen churn increase—especially in Europe and North America.
In its most recent earnings report, Disney+ lost approximately 700,000 subscribers globally—its first decline since launching in 2019. While the direct-to-consumer division turned a narrow profit, CEO Bob Iger has continued to emphasize that streaming profitability remains a long-term challenge.
Cassian Andor in the trailer for Andor Season 1 – YouTube, Star Wars
Content cuts, price hikes, and password-sharing crackdowns have done little to reverse the trend. Meanwhile, attempts to grow the adult-focused side of Disney+ through brands like FX, Hulu, and Lucasfilm have yielded mixed results. Shows like The Acolyte, Ironheart and Willow underperformed.
This makes the ITVX collaboration a calculated risk: instead of trying to compete with traditional broadcasters, Disney is choosing to partner with them—hoping that mutual exposure can breathe new life into a plateauing platform.
A Strategic Demographic Swap
According to Karl Holmes, general manager of Disney+ EMEA, the strategy is simple: attract new eyeballs in overlooked demographics. “It’s really powerful for us and will help drive consideration in a demo which hasn’t considered as much under our sign-ups,” Holmes told Variety. “And at the same time, we get some of the U.K.’s biggest shows to put in front of our younger audience.”
(L-R) Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) and Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone) in Marvel Television’s AGATHA ALL ALONG, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2024 MARVEL.
Disney+ aims to tap into ITV’s older-skewing audience, which has historically been slower to adopt the platform. In turn, ITV benefits from exposure to Disney’s younger, more digitally native base.
A Broader Industry Shift
This Disney ITV pact follows close on the heels of Netflix’s agreement to stream France’s TF1 channels, signaling what many now view as a larger trend: global streamers turning toward legacy broadcasters to bolster reach and relevance.
Riri Williams in Ironheart – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
Deals like this would have seemed “inconceivable” a year ago, Holmes admitted—but now they’re expected to become “commonplace.” Disney is already in “active discussions in several markets” across Europe, with similar partnerships on the horizon.
“There is a race going on,” Holmes said. “We are clearly not the only global streaming company who have noticed that free-to-air broadcasters aggregate the largest audiences and have the largest shows.”
Mutual Benefit and Long-Term Strategy
While this content-sharing pact doesn’t include new co-productions or exclusive rights, both companies signaled interest in deepening the partnership. Disney already works with ITV Studios on projects like the upcoming drama Rivals, and Holmes expects further collaboration in the pipeline.
Joe Earley, president of direct-to-consumer at Disney Entertainment, emphasized the ITV alliance’s win-win nature.
“This innovative collaboration will allow us to bring Disney+ customers some of the U.K.’s favorite and buzzworthy shows and encourage ITVX viewers to discover some of Disney+’s award-winning series and blockbuster films,” he said.
The 15th Doctor regenerates into Billie Piper on Doctor Who – YouTube, BBC
ITV’s media and entertainment chief Kevin Lygo echoed the sentiment.
“This mutually beneficial alliance allows us to show our complementary audiences a specially selected collection of titles,” he said. “Even more great content for viewers on ITVX, and even more opportunity for viewers to find and enjoy our distinctive titles.”
What This Means Going Forward
This isn’t just a big deal for Disney and ITV—it’s a sign that the streaming era is evolving. After years of siloed platforms and exclusivity wars, the tides are turning toward cross-promotion, hybrid distribution, and old-school broadcaster alliances.
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), Marvel Studios
The “Taste of” model could become a blueprint for future global deals, especially as streamers chase subscriber growth in saturated markets. For Disney, it’s a rare opportunity to make inroads with older viewers. For ITV, it’s a powerful way to elevate its brand internationally through one of the most recognized names in entertainment.
Whether this model catches fire across other territories remains to be seen—but with Netflix and Disney now leading the charge, the streaming wars are entering an entirely new phase.
What do you think about this deal between Disney and ITV? Sound off in the comments below and let us know!
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Good god, it is going to be like Cable 2.0. Eventually, they’ll all be consolidated and all the folks who were successful cord cutters over the last 20 years will be forced back to supporting junk content that they don’t want.
In this case, though, I have to say Disney is getting the better part of the deal. “The Acolyte” and even “Andor” were only hit shows in a Disney fever dream. The ITVX subscribers are going to avoid them as much as the rest of the audience did.