ITV Studios to launch new FAST channels internationally

ITV Studios, the production arm of the UK commercial broadcaster, is launching new FAST channels internationally as it evolves its strategy in this market.

Amongst the soon to be launched FAST channels are a single IP offering based around the quiz show Eggheads (which will launch on 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 human stories, true crime and documentaries, which will initially launch in the UK on Samsung, Pluto, LG and Rakuten.

Graham Haigh

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

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 said its portfolio of brands now deliver over six billion views annually across its owned and operated channels driven by brands such as The Voice, Love Island and Hell’s Kitchen alongside its suite of original non-scripted channels.

The new FAST channels join ITV Studios’ existing suite of 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.

Two existing channels are to 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.”