ITVX stocks up on true crime & anime content

Cowboy Bebop

UK comcaster ITV has inked content deals with CBS Reality and Glaswegian anime licensor Anime Ltd to stock upcoming streamer ITVX.

The integrated AVOD and SVOD service will draw on the library of True Crime UK from CBS Reality, picking up 200 hours of true crime content at launch, and a further 50 hours in 2023.

Titles will include the recent Descent Of A Serial Killer, four series presented by investigative journalist and criminologist Donal MacIntyre, two series of The Real Prime Suspect hosted by former detective Jackie Malton and New Scotland Yard Files.

ITVX has also acquired more than 500 episodes and 200 hours of anime content from Anime Ltd, including titles such as Escaflowne, Lupin III Part 6, Megalobox and Cowboy Bebop.

These agreements also mark the first advertising revenue sharing deals for ITVX, which is how ITV is planning to bring on a range of third-party content to the service, enabling the business to bolster its content offering going forward.

“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 third party content to new and existing ITVX users,” commented ITV’s director of content partnerships, streaming, Laura Franses, who was recently temporarily replaced by Kate Barnes while she goes on maternity leave.