ITVX passes 3.6 billion streams as Sky's £1.6 billion ITV deal faces review

ITVX, the free streaming service of British broadcaster ITV, passed 3.6 billion streams on 30 October 2026, beating its total for the whole of 2025 in just ten months, ITV said in an announcement on Thursday, 5 November 2026. October alone brought 358 million streams, up 33% on a year earlier and the service's best October so far. The record came a day after UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy formally intervened in Sky's planned £1.6 billion purchase of ITV's media and entertainment business, which includes ITVX, opening an official review of the deal.

ITVX is the streaming home of ITV, one of the UK's main free-to-air broadcasters. Like broadcasters everywhere, ITV has been trying to move its viewers from scheduled channels to on-demand viewing as audiences, especially younger ones, spend more time on Netflix, YouTube and other global platforms. Passing last year's total two months early suggests that this shift is working for ITV, at least in terms of how much its shows are watched online.

The numbers also show what people come to the service for. Drama and soaps together brought in 173 million streams in October, close to half of the month's total. Reality television such as Big Brother adds another large block. These are shows made for British audiences, which is the main thing ITVX can offer that global services cannot easily copy. FAST channels, a newer format, are free, always-on streams with adverts, similar to a traditional channel but delivered over the internet; ITV says it now has 20 of them, including a newly launched Classic Corrie channel that is already its fifth most watched.

The bigger question is who will own the service. Sky has agreed to buy ITV's media and entertainment business, which covers its main channels and ITVX. ITV Studios, the production arm behind programmes such as I'm A Celebrity and Mr Bates vs The Post Office, is not part of the sale. By issuing a Public Interest Intervention Notice, the Culture Secretary has not blocked the deal, but she has asked the competition regulator and the media regulator to look at its effects, including on media plurality, meaning the range of different owners and voices in the news and media. After their reports, she can refer the deal for a deeper investigation. Sky and ITV say the deal would create a stronger British media business able to compete with global streamers; ITV has said it will co-operate fully with the review.

Peepals calculation: 3.6 billion streams in ten months is an average of about 360 million a month (3,600 ÷ 10), so October's 358 million was close to the year's monthly average. A 33% rise to 358 million means October 2025 had about 269 million streams (358 ÷ 1.33). Drama's 112 million made up about 31% of October streams (112 ÷ 358) and soaps about 17% (61 ÷ 358). Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: ITV can point to record streaming figures while regulators examine the Sky deal. The review means the sale cannot be completed until the reports are in and the Culture Secretary has decided on next steps.

Long-term: If the deal goes ahead, ITVX's shows and audience would sit inside Sky's wider business, changing the shape of British television. If it is blocked or changed, ITV will have to keep competing alone against much larger global platforms.

Who is affected: ITV and Sky, their staff and shareholders; advertisers who buy space on UK television and streaming; UK viewers of ITV channels and ITVX; and producers who sell programmes to British broadcasters.

What to watch next: The Competition and Markets Authority and Ofcom are due to report to the Culture Secretary by 27 January 2027, after which she may refer the deal for an in-depth investigation.

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