ITVX acquires content from Anime Ltd and CBS Reality

ITV has secured an agreement with Glaswegian-based Anime Ltd, the largest independent anime licensor in the UK. Under the terms of the agreement, ITVX will become the free-to-air house of slate of anime television series and films, which amount to over 500 episodes and 200 hours. "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," ITV’s Director of Content Partnerships, Streaming, Laura Franses said. "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."

The slate of content developed by 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 Watanabeamng various others. “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," Andrew Partridge, president and CEO of Anime Ltd. said. "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.”

The true crime content from CBS Reality will allow ITVX users view classics like "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 - and New Scotland Yard Files, all of which are original programmes from the CBS Reality library. Three series of the highly popular show, Medical Detectives [also known as Forensic Files] will also be made available alongside much more. 

An additional deal involves the launch of True Crime UK from CBS Reality. The service will provide ITVX with an additional 200 hours of gripping true crime content at launch, and a further 50 hours in 2023, serving as the first advertising revenue sharing deals for ITVX. “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," Tanya Gugenheim, SVP, Business Development for AMC Networks International UK, said. "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.”