ITVX secures Paramount hit shows ahead of next week’s launch

Everybody Hates Chris

ITV streaming platform ITVX is continuing to build up its content acquisitions slate ahead of the platform’s December 8^th launch. In a multi-year deal with Paramount Global Content Distribution it has picked up titles including Freaks and Geeks, Beauty and the Beast and vampire horror From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series.

Also coming in Spring 2023 are proven series such as Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Everybody Hates Chris and Jane the Virgin. ITV’s head of content acquisitions, Sasha Breslau said: “We are thrilled to be working with Paramount Global Content Distribution to bring such a fantastic mix of content to ITVX viewers in 2023 and beyond.”

Craig Morris, managing editor, ITVX shared some insights into the new platform at the TellyCast Digital Content Forum on Wednesday. Offering a mix of big budget originals, acquisitions and around 20 FAST Channels at launch, he said the new streamer is an opportunity for the ITV group to reach out to audiences that traditionally haven’t come to the company on a consistent basis. He cited a deal with Anime Ltd for 400 hours of content, which he said was part of ITVX’s ambition to expand in that genre.

There will be a premium ad-free version of ITVX available, but Morris stressed the ITVX is primarily an ad-supported platform and that there is no particular ambition to funnel people from the free version to the paid-for version. With ad-supported version of Netflix and Disney+ coming to market, Morris also noted that ITVX is completely free, whereas rival ad-supported services still come with monthly subscription fee.