ITV Shatters Streaming Records And Expands YouTube Reach

ITV, one of the UK’s most prominent broadcasters, has kicked off 2026 with a bang, setting new records in both streaming and digital advertising partnerships. January 2026 marked ITV’s biggest ever month for streaming, reaching a staggering 383 million streams and surpassing its previous high of 375 million, which was set during the Men’s Euros in June 2024. This achievement underscores the surging popularity of ITVX, ITV’s streaming platform, and solidifies its position as the dominant commercial Broadcaster Video On Demand (BVOD) service in the market. According to ITV, the platform outperformed the ad-tiers of every other broadcaster and even global streaming giants in January 2026.

The driving force behind this record-breaking month? A powerful combination of beloved soaps, reality TV, and must-watch drama. ITV’s flagship continuing dramas, "Coronation Street" and "Emmerdale," saw their streaming viewership jump by an impressive 48% year on year. January 2026 brought these long-running series their highest monthly streaming figures ever, thanks in large part to the much-anticipated "Corriedale" crossover episode. This unique event launched a new power-hour scheduling pattern, with streaming-friendly 30-minute episodes of both "Coronation Street" and "Emmerdale" airing nightly on weekdays and dropping on ITVX at 7am.

"Corriedale" quickly became ITV’s biggest programme of the month, pulling in a combined audience of 5.9 million across both consolidated TV and streaming platforms. Together, "Coronation Street" and "Emmerdale" racked up 65 million streams in January alone—10 million more than their previous monthly record. These figures highlight not just the enduring appeal of the soaps themselves, but also the effectiveness of ITV’s innovative scheduling and release strategies in the digital age.

Reality TV also continued to shine. "Love Island All Stars" dominated the streaming charts, achieving 40 million streams in January 2026. This made it the biggest streaming title for the coveted 16–34 demographic among all commercial competitors, including broadcaster VOD services and the ad-supported tiers of major subscription streamers. In fact, "Love Island All Stars" is ITV’s top single streaming title so far in 2026, cementing its status as a cultural phenomenon for younger viewers.

Drama, however, was the true star of the month on ITVX. The first and second series of "Red Eye" led the way, amassing over 25 million streams and earning the distinction of ITV’s top commissioned title for the period. Meanwhile, "The Hunting Wives" topped the charts as the leading acquired title, drawing nearly 7 million streams—one of the highest monthly totals ever for an acquired show on ITVX. January’s drama streams were the highest since January 2024, when "Mr Bates vs The Post Office" captivated audiences. The month’s lineup was bolstered by new series of commissioned hits like "After The Flood" and "Grantchester," alongside acquired favorites such as "61st Street" and "Grosse Pointe Garden Society." Archive stalwarts like "Midsomer Murders," "Vera," and "Downton Abbey" continued to attract viewers, proving that classic content still has a powerful pull in the streaming era.

Kevin Lygo, ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, was quick to celebrate the achievement. “The combination of a brilliant drama offering, two of our biggest brands—'Coronation Street' and 'Emmerdale'—alongside our most popular show for 16–34s, 'Love Island', have come together to deliver ITVX its biggest ever month. 2026 is packed full of exciting new content and it’s fantastic to kick-start the year with this milestone,” Lygo said, according to the company’s official statement.

January 2026 also saw ITVX hit a major milestone: 10 billion streams since its launch in December 2022. This rapid growth has been fueled by ongoing enhancements to the viewer experience, including a refreshed homepage, the introduction of Coming Soon trailers, and a simplified log-in process rolled out in 2025. These improvements have made it easier than ever for audiences to discover and enjoy ITV’s vast library of content, both new and old.

But ITV’s digital ambitions didn’t stop at streaming. On February 5, 2026, ITV announced a significant new partnership with Banijay Rights, the global distribution powerhouse behind some of the UK’s most recognized television brands. Through this agreement, ITV’s YouTube Sales team will now represent a host of world-class shows from Banijay Rights, expanding ITV’s YouTube advertising offering and giving brands the opportunity to place their ads around even more premium, broadcast-quality content.

The expanded portfolio includes some of the most iconic UK-produced titles, such as "Would I Lie To You?", "MasterChef", "Peaky Blinders", "SAS: Rogue Heroes", "Location Location Location", and "One Born Every Minute." It also features third-party favorites distributed by Banijay Rights, like Jimmy Carr’s stand-up specials and "Mythbusters." This move builds on ITV’s December 2024 strategic partnership with YouTube, which already had ITV’s commercial team selling advertising across a wide range of ITV Studios content and commissioned programming.

The results speak for themselves. In 2025, ITV’s YouTube network saw UK views surge by 51%, while total ad impressions rose by 35% year on year. Banijay Rights’ own YouTube channel network, meanwhile, amassed over 10 billion views in 2025 for global brands including "Mr Bean" and "The Osbournes." The new partnership is expected to further boost both companies’ reach and revenue in the ever-competitive digital video market.

Ben Allen, ITV’s Director of Commercial Strategy and Trading, emphasized the significance of the deal: “This partnership with Banijay both builds on ITV’s successful commercial growth on YouTube and paves the way for further development for ITV acting as a sales house in the YouTube space, partnering with select premium content which maintains broadcast quality and standards.”

Abul Noor, Head of YouTube Sales at ITV, echoed this sentiment, stating, “For advertisers, this new partnership means they can benefit from scaled access to highly curated, broadcast quality, brand-safe content from both ITV and Banijay and I’m excited to offer this to the range of quality brands that we work with.”

The Banijay team was equally enthusiastic. Shaun Keeble, VP Digital at Banijay Rights, noted, “Our forward-facing approach to YouTube monetisation across our stand-out content and creators will only continue to expand with this new partnership with ITV. After a decade of growth, our YouTube footprint reached new heights in 2025, and this deal will continue to drive momentum in the UK this year.” Sarb Niijer, Chief Operating Officer at Banijay UK, added, “We are working hard to ensure that our content is available where the audience want to watch and YouTube is a major part of this strategy. This partnership with ITV Sales, who understand the power of premium content to brands regardless of the platform, is an important step.”

The partnership also complements Banijay Entertainment’s broader digital strategy, which includes initiatives like its Creators Lab in France, the launch of the FCF creator-led football team in the Netherlands, and ongoing management of talent-led YouTube channels for stars such as Mr Bean and Jimmy Carr. For ITV, these moves represent a concerted effort to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving media landscape, where streaming and digital advertising are more crucial than ever.

With new records set, major partnerships inked, and an ever-expanding digital footprint, ITV’s 2026 is shaping up to be a year of remarkable growth and innovation—one that’s sure to keep viewers, advertisers, and industry insiders watching closely.