ITV Studios kicked off Monday morning at MIPCOM 2026 in Cannes with a powerhouse breakfast event, unleashing a barrage of announcements that span strategic global expansions, major format milestones, and a robust pipeline of premium scripted and unscripted content. The showcase highlighted the distributor’s aggressive growth strategy across international markets, cementing its footprint in territories from India and MENA to Australia and the Nordics.
A major highlight of the morning was the enduring global dominance of The Voice. ITV Studios confirmed that the singing competition has officially reached its 80th territory, following a new commission for The Voice Estonia produced by Elitaz for TV3 (set to air in 2027), alongside a recent deal with Macedonian Radio Television (MRT). With 164 unique adaptations globally, the format continues to evolve through innovative commissioning models, such as simultaneous streamer-broadcaster broadcasts in Brazil and a 30th-season TikTok integration in the US that drove a 57% year-on-year premiere increase.
Bolstering its unscripted catalogue, ITV Studios announced the acquisition of international distribution rights to Incognito, a mischievous new social experiment created by Derren Brown and produced by Vaudeville Productions for Channel 4. The six-part reality format places ten strangers with heavily stereotyped backgrounds (e.g., a spy, a priest, a porn star) into a mysterious institution, challenging deeply held prejudices as they attempt to uncover each other’s hidden identities.
Factual entertainment is also seeing a digital-first revival. Nearly a decade after the original airing of River Monsters, Zoo 55 and Oxford Scientific Films are bringing explorer Jeremy Wade back to screens with Fish On! With Jeremy Wade. The 20-episode vodcast, co-hosted with Scott Tankard, will feature off-camera moments, unreleased stories, and interviews with the original crew. Leveraging a massive digital resurgence—driven by TikTok fans who dubbed Wade the Pokémon Master—the series will launch on Patreon on October 20 before a general release on YouTube and Spotify on October 27.
To maximize the reach of its flagship properties, ITV Studios announced a strategic partnership with Different Productions, the producers behind Netflix‘s Dubai Bling. Different Productions will now officially represent a portfolio of ITV Studios‘ leading formats across India and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
- In India: The Hindi-language adaptation portfolio includes eight formats such as The Voice, Love Island, Apocalypse, and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
- In MENA: The agreement covers nine formats, bringing localized versions of I Love My Country, Come Dine with Me, The Heat, and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! to the region.
Simultaneously, ITV Studios is aggressively expanding its scripted footprint in the Asia-Pacific region. The company has tapped leading Australian creative Sara Richardson (formerly Director of Scripted Television at Endemol Shine Australia) to launch and serve as Managing Director of a new drama label. Operating in close collaboration with premium drama producer Lingo Pictures, the yet-to-be-named label will focus on developing high-end Australian dramas tailored for global audiences, backed by ITV Studios’ infrastructure and international reach.
On the scripted front, ITV Studios showcased massive international demand for its top-tier dramas, securing sweeping pre-sales and acquisitions across its portfolio:
- Number 10: Steven Moffat’s witty workplace drama set in 10 Downing Street, starring Rafe Spall and Jenna Coleman, has brought Arte on board as a co-producer for France and Germany. Pre-sales include HBO Max (Australia), TVNZ (New Zealand), and DR (Denmark).
- Adultery: The provocative love story starring Dominic Cooper and Romala Garai has secured pre-sales in 18 countries, including HBO Max in Australia and TV4 in Sweden.
- The Killings at Parrish Station: The Mia Wasikowska-led outback thriller has been acquired in over 70 countries, adding Canal+ (Czech Republic/Slovakia) and MTV3 (Finland) to previous major deals with Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal.
- The Dark & Tip Toe: Scottish serial killer thriller The Dark has been picked up in 23 countries, while Russell T Davies’ squatter-community drama Tip Toe has secured a 32-country deal with HBO Max for Latin America.
- Sherlock: The iconic 2010-2017 Benedict Cumberbatch series has been added to ITV’s catalogue and immediately acquired by 62 countries, including a massive 50-territory EMEA deal with Disney+.
Rounding out the scripted announcements, ITV confirmed the highly anticipated recommission of Karen Pirie for a third series. Produced by World Productions, the Scottish cold-case crime drama will adapt Val McDermid’s novel The Skeleton Road. Lauren Lyle will reprise her BAFTA Scotland-winning role as the fiercely intelligent detective, taking on an Executive Producer credit this season. Acclaimed screenwriter Gillian Roger Park takes the reins for the six-part series, which begins filming next year following a stellar second season that averaged 5.3 million viewers.
