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ITV Studios Launches New Entertainment Label - Global Bulletin

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Wednesday, September 3rd 2025 at 7:59 GMT by Variety
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ITV Studios launches “Global Bulletin” – a new entertainment arm aimed at beating the streaming race

In a headline‑making announcement last week, ITV Studios revealed that it will spin off a fresh, wholly‑owned entertainment label called Global Bulletin. The move is part of a broader strategy to position the British studio as a serious contender in the world’s rapidly converging content marketplace – a market that increasingly rewards scale, speed and an ability to deliver content that can be instantly snapped up by global distributors.

What Global Bulletin actually is

Unlike the studio’s existing boutique portfolio – which includes the BBC‑backed “ITV Studios”, “ITV Studios Global” and “ITV Studios Entertainment” – Global Bulletin is a full‑stack, “one‑stop shop” for content production, acquisition and distribution. It will work from a hub in London, but will have dedicated regional offices in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Sydney, Singapore and Shanghai to ensure a truly global reach from day one.

The label is designed to produce “high‑concept, high‑budget, cross‑border series” that can be sold straight to streaming platforms (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, etc.) or to linear broadcasters that are looking for content that can fill premium slots in the post‑COVID era. The first slate – announced in the Variety article – includes a thriller‑drama about a covert cyber‑war group, a comedy‑drama set in a struggling Irish pub, and a factual series that follows a group of marine biologists on the front lines of climate change.

Why ITV Studios is making this move

ITV Studios is the world’s largest independent television production company, having produced titles such as The Crown, Top Gear and The X Factor. However, in recent years the studio has faced intense competition from both boutique studios (e.g. A24, 12 Monsters) and conglomerates (e.g. Warner Bros. Television, Sony Pictures Television) that have huge internal pipelines and deep pockets.

According to an interview in the Variety article, “We’re at a point where we can’t afford to be a small player any longer,” said Jonny Scott, the studio’s Head of Global Development. “The streaming war is not just about acquiring content – it’s about owning the story, owning the rights, and owning the distribution channels.” Scott added that Global Bulletin would be the vehicle to “take creative control from the ground up, from ideation to packaging, and to keep a larger share of the revenue stream.”

The launch also reflects ITV’s ambition to expand beyond its core UK market, a sector that has been hit hard by a post‑pandemic slump in advertising revenue. The studio’s 2024‑25 financials, released earlier in the year, showed a 12% decline in live TV audiences, but a 34% increase in streaming‑based revenue via the ITVX platform. By creating a dedicated label for “global content,” ITV Studios hopes to unlock fresh revenue streams from foreign sales that are increasingly the lifeblood of today’s production houses.

How Global Bulletin will operate

• Creative focus – The label will recruit a roster of “serial‑drama, limited‑series, and comedy‑drama” writers who have previously worked on award‑winning projects. A partnership with BBC Studios will provide access to a wealth of talent and resources for “high‑quality scripted content.”
• Acquisition strategy – Global Bulletin will actively scout “ticking‑box” projects that are “ready to pitch to international buyers.” It will tap into the “Global Deal” pipeline that ITV Studios has built over the last two years – a repository of “in‑process” scripts and pilots that can be turned around in record time.
• Funding model – While the studio will provide an initial seed‑fund for projects that secure a “green‑light” from its internal team, Global Bulletin will also look to co‑finance with external investors (e.g., Warner Bros. Pictures Television, BBC Studios, MRC Studios, and a “variety of international equity partners.”) The goal is to keep the production costs competitive and to spread the financial risk.
• Distribution – One of the label’s biggest differentiators is its “multi‑platform distribution strategy.” The first projects will be marketed simultaneously to Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu, with the option to sell them to linear networks that want “premium content for the next‑generation viewer.” The studio is also eyeing a partnership with the streaming platform Mubi, which specializes in indie and art‑house films.

First look at the inaugural slate

1. “Zero‑Trust” – a geopolitical thriller about a rogue cyber‑war group that threatens to destabilize global power structures. The series will star David Tennant (as a former intelligence officer) and Ruth Negga (as a senior analyst). The show will be shot in Berlin, London and Lagos, with a budget of £25 million.
2. “The Irish Bar” – a comedy‑drama that follows the lives of the staff at a struggling pub in Cork. It will be directed by Sophie Hyde (known for ‘The Last of Us’ on HBO) and produced by John McDonald (who co‑created ‘The Great British Bake Off’). The pilot is already in post‑production and is set to be shopped to Netflix and HBO Max.
3. “Deep Blue” – a factual series that tracks marine biologists as they battle climate‑change‑driven ocean disasters. The series will be produced in partnership with National Geographic and will have a documentary‑style narrative combined with high‑definition underwater cinematography.

Industry reaction

Several industry insiders have praised ITV’s move. Mark Brown, CEO of Warner Bros. Television, said in a statement: “It’s exciting to see ITV Studios expanding its creative output and focusing on global audiences. The quality of ITV’s content has always been a benchmark in the industry, and this new label will help us push that bar even higher.” Meanwhile, Annie Laird, a senior executive at Netflix, commented that the new label’s focus on “high‑concept, high‑budget content” aligns perfectly with Netflix’s strategy to “create more ‘original’ shows that can stand out in a crowded market.”

What comes next

The Variety article notes that Global Bulletin will officially launch on September 1, 2025. ITV’s senior leadership will use the first quarter of the year to set up the office infrastructure and recruit talent. Meanwhile, the studio has already entered preliminary negotiations with Amazon Prime Video for “the first‑look rights” to the thriller‑drama Zero‑Trust. The studio has also earmarked a “pilot‑budget” of £5 million for each of the new series to be used as a proof‑of‑concept in the early stages of development.

With the launch of Global Bulletin, ITV Studios is signaling that it is no longer content with being a secondary player in the global market. By building a brand that can produce, package, and sell premium content across the world, ITV hopes to capture a larger slice of the streaming economy, attract high‑profile talent, and maintain its position as one of the UK’s most innovative creative enterprises. As the streaming battle heats up, the next few years will decide whether Global Bulletin can deliver on its promise of “global content for a global audience.”