EXCLUSIVE: ITV is expected to host Sky original series like The Day of the Jackal and Saturday Night Live UK under plans being drawn up by its new parent company, Deadline understands.
Comcast-owned Sky announced its £1.6 billion ($2.1 billion) acquisition of ITV’s network and streaming unit earlier this week and, although the deal will be subject to lengthy regulatory approval, Sky has already held internal talks about giving original series airtime on its new asset.
The thinking is at an early stage, but sources told Deadline that Sky executives have considered how they could, for example, air the first season of Day of the Jackal on ITV before Season 2 premieres on Sky. It follows CEO Dana Strong revealing that Sky will window sport on ITV, meaning some Premier League fixtures could broadcast on the network.
The hope is that content sharing could benefit both Sky and ITV. Firstly, ITV could sell advertising and sponsorship around a glossy original series by bringing it to a bigger audience on free-to-air television. Sky would then aim to convert these viewers into subscribers.
UK industry insiders said Sky could also look to premiere first episodes of new series on ITV, or use the network to amplify topical shows like SNL UK by airing reruns. There is a recognition at Sky that not all of its series will be right for an ITV audience, but executives are aware of its marketing firepower.
Eddie Redmayne in ‘The Day of the Jackal’
Marcell Piti/Carnival Film & Television Limited
“Having ITV on tap is huge for Sky,” said one source. “ITV is one of the largest commercial broadcasters in Western Europe — on a good day, its audience is massive. Getting new eyeballs to expensive drama is smart.” A second person added: “SNL will be the jewel in the crown of this deal. It will be Sky’s opportunity to say: ‘We have transformed British comedy.’”
Ultimately, producers told Deadline that ITV can help Sky answer lingering questions about its ability to cut through with original series.
In the first half of 2026, Sky has not had a single title break into the official weekly lists of the top 50 biggest shows on British television. The closest Sky came was in January, when the premiere of Under Salt Marsh, a crime drama starring Kelly Reilly and Rafe Spall, was watched by 1.8M viewers in its first seven days.
In comparison, Sky’s premium rivals consistently make the top 50 rankings published by ratings body Barb. Netflix has had six UK originals in the weekly lists this year. Amazon Prime Video registered two entries.
Sky’s internal audience figures show that seven of its top 10 most-watched series last year were originals, while Boyzone: No Matter What was its highest-rated documentary on record. In 2026, The Dyers’ Caravan Park hit a five-year overnight high for a Sky entertainment series, while SNL UK consistently outperformed its slot average and went viral on social media.
‘Under Salt Marsh’
Sky Studios CEO Cécile Frot-Coutaz has been in post for four years, during which time she has narrowed the originals slate to focus more on big-ticket scripted series. It’s a strategy best illustrated by The Day of the Jackal, the Eddie Redmayne assassin story that became Sky’s highest-rated original drama ever with 3M viewers in 2024.
In the hours after Sky announced the ITV takeover, Frot-Coutaz messaged respected British producers offering to answer their questions about the deal. Although the Sky content chief’s words were said to be unremarkable, one recipient said the message itself symbolized that she will be in charge of the purse strings once the deal completes next year.
The former YouTube executive will command a budget comfortably north of £1 billion a year, making her second only to the BBC’s Kate Phillips as the most powerful content chief in the UK. Frot-Coutaz is viewed as a smart and strategic executive, but some producers still have doubts about her creative credentials and the layers of decision-making she has introduced at Sky. Deadline detailed these reservations in a story in 2023.
On a press call this week, Sky boss Strong told Deadline that it was too early to comment on how the commissioning structure will change with the addition of ITV, where Kevin Lygo calls the content shots. Producers are clear that it would not be practical or palatable to import Sky’s style at ITV. “Content chiefs with small slates and lots of money can take time to make decisions because there are not many decisions to make,” said a respected producer. “If you have that level of f**kery at ITV, you will get gridlock very quickly.”
‘Love Island UK’
There are mixed views about Sky’s £2.1 billion output deal with ITV Studios for key ITV series, including Love Island and Coronation Street. An ITV Studios source said it was sensible for both sides, preventing hit series from being shopped around and giving producers an incentive to take their new ideas to Sky. A third-party production chief said it could limit opportunities at Sky and raises questions about “concentrations of power.”
Peter Fincham, a former ITV content boss and co-founder of Clarkson’s Farm producer Expectation, said the arrangement could create uncertainty towards the end of its term in 2032 — particularly if ITV Studios is acquired. “I can’t actually work out whether the cards are more in the production hand or more in the broadcast hand. It depends on all sorts of things you can’t possibly predict at this moment,” said the co-host of Insiders: The TV Podcast.
