ITV signs landmark partnership deals for over 400 hours of content for ITVX from Anime Ltd and CBS Reality

ITV has signed an agreement with Glaswegian-based Anime Ltd, the largest independent anime licensor in the UK. This agreement will make ITVX the free-to-air home of a unique selection of anime television series and films which extends to over 500 episodes and 200 hours.

An additional deal involves the launch of True Crime UK from CBS Reality. Drawing from the library of CBS Reality, the #1 factual entertainment channel in the UK amongst adult women, the service will provide ITVX with an additional 200 hours of gripping true crime content at launch, and a further 50 hours in 2023.

These agreements also mark the first advertising revenue sharing deals for ITVX; a pioneering way that ITV will be bringing on a range of third-party content enabling the business to bolster its content offering going forward.

The raft of content from Anime Ltd will include a mixture of over twenty TV series and films, making ITVX the largest AVOD home of anime content in the UK. The collection will include Escaflowne, Lupin III Part 6, Megalobox, the critically acclaimed Cowboy Bebop directed by Shinichiro Watanabe and the seminal directorial debut of Hideaki ANNO, Gunbuster as well as many more not currently available on any other local platforms.

The true crime content from CBS Reality will allow ITVX users to binge fan favourites including the recent Descent of a Serial Killer, four series presented by renowned investigative journalist and criminologist Donal MacIntyre, two series of The Real Prime Suspect hosted by former detective Jackie Malton, the inspiration behind acclaimed drama series Prime Suspect, New Scotland Yard Files, all of which are original programmes from the CBS Reality library, along with three series of the highly popular show, Medical Detectives [also known as Forensic Files] and much more.

ITV’s Director of Content Partnerships, Streaming, Laura Franses said: ‘We are delighted to announce our first wave of deals with Anime Ltd and CBS AMC Networks UK Channels Partnership for True Crime UK from CBS Reality – with more to follow. These deals herald a new business model and opening up of the ITVX platform enabling us to bring hundreds of hours of 3rd party content to new and existing ITVX users’.

Andrew Partridge, president and CEO of Anime Ltd. said: “We could not be more pleased than to team up with ITV in our efforts to share world-class Japanese animation with new audiences and lifelong fans across the United Kingdom. With a diverse lineup of anime from some of the most impressive minds in television and film, ITVX promises to be an essential destination for anyone interested in the medium. (Diazepam) ”

Tanya Gugenheim, SVP, Business Development for AMC Networks International UK, commented: “We are excited to work with ITV on this landmark deal, through which CBS Reality’s most popular true crime programmes will reach an even wider audience. Our new AVOD service True Crime UK from CBS Reality underscores our commitment to showcasing expert-led critically-acclaimed factual entertainment to audiences in the UK and beyond.” BCS Bureau