ITV Studios announces new global FAST channels

ITV Studios today announces new FAST channels across the globe as it continues to evolve its distribution strategy, building a suite of owned and operated channel propositions across the FAST and social space and creating new homes for its award-winning scripted and non scripted content.  

The business’ 15 FAST channels are now available globally across 16 territories with the ITV Studios team programming over 3,500 hours of its scripted and non-scripted content to audiences across three continents.  On the social side, ITV Studios’ portfolio of brands now deliver over 6bn views annually across its owned and operated channels driven by top performing brands such as The Voice, Love Island and Hell’s Kitchen alongside its suite of original non-scripted channels.

Amongst the soon to be launched FAST channels are a single IP offering based around the quiz show Eggheads (Samsung and Pluto UK) and The Hotel Inspector channel in Australia with Samsung TV Plus. These will be closely followed by True Lives by ITV Studios featuring inspiring human stories, true crime and award winning documentaries, which will initially launch in the UK on Samsung, Pluto, LG and Rakuten.

Schitt’s Creek, the multi-award winning international hit CBC show is now available as a single IP channel across almost 40 territories in Latin America and the World of Love Island brings the hit brand to the Nordics in FAST form, available on Pluto (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) alongside Samsung and Rakuten in Sweden. 

These new channels join ITV Studios’ existing suite of global hit brands with dedicated FAST channels, such as Come Dine With Me, Hell’s Kitchen USA and River Monsters. Various international versions of Come Dine With Me are now available in the US (Roku and Freevee), alongside channels in the UK and Australia (Samsung), the Nordics and the Netherlands (both Rakuten). 

The Hell’s Kitchen US channel is now available across the UK, US, Nordics, Netherlands and Australia, while a fully localised channel has also launched on Pluto, Samsung, LG, Freevee and Rakuten in Germany.  Also fully localised, River Monsters has launched in Germany on Pluto, LG and Freevee, with Samsung TV Plus in Australia soon to launch also, where it is already available with 7Plus.

Elsewhere, a channel dedicated to Tetra Media’s Un Village Francais, set within the backdrop of World War Two, launched earlier this year on Samsung and Pluto in France.

Finally, two existing channels will re-brand. Storylands has become World Drama by ITV Studios, with shows including Jordskott, Aber Bergen and Un Village Francais available on the channel in the UK (Samsung, Freevee, Rakuten and LG) while ITV Choice on Samsung TV Plus in Australia will now be known as Entertain by ITV Studios, featuring shows such as Four Weddings and Paul O’Grady’s For The Love of Dogs.

Graham Haigh, EVP, Global Digital Partnerships at ITV Studios, said: “It’s amazing to see our strategy now coming to life with so many of our iconic brands and incredible content attracting new viewers in both the FAST and social space, continuing to serve existing superfans around the world and at the same time creating new ones. 

“Both FAST and social platforms such as YouTube, Snapchat and Meta are enabling us to diversify our distribution business, launch new brands & channels whilst allowing us to become a step closer to the consumer with greater access to data and insights.

“We’re very excited for what’s to come over the next year, working closely with our incredible producers and platform partners alike to bring some of our other key brands and content into the evolving FAST and social space.”

[ENDS]