Disney+ to Carry Channel 4 Broadcast and Shows in U.K. and Ireland From 2027

The Walt Disney Co. and U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 reached an agreement that will put Channel 4's main broadcast channel and an on-demand catalogue on Disney+ for viewers in the U.K. and Ireland. The companies said the arrangement begins in early 2027. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Disney+ subscribers in the U.K. and Ireland will have access to Channel 4's linear HD channel, along with hundreds of hours of scripted and unscripted programming from its library, including Big Mood, Tip Toe and 24 Hours in A&E. The companies said the content will be available at no extra cost to existing subscribers. Channel 4 programming will sit in a branded section of Disney+ that uses the same navigation as the rest of the service. The partners also said multiple Channel 4 shows will be released on Disney+ the same day they air on Channel 4, naming drama Maya with Bella Ramsey, comedy Stepping Up with Denise Welch, and the reality format Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

The deal extends a series of agreements Disney+ has reached with European broadcasters. The company has worked with ITV in the U.K., Italy's RAI, Germany's ARD and ZDF, SIC in Portugal, RTVE and Atresmedia in Spain, and an earlier agreement with ITV was later extended to Hulu.

Channel 4 CEO Priya Dogra said the partnership is designed to reach viewers beyond the broadcaster's own services. "Channel 4 is home to some of the U.K. and Ireland's most talked about and trusted programming, and this new service will help those shows reach viewers in new places," she said. Dogra said the agreement grew from a view that audience habits are shifting. "As audience habits evolve and people go to multiple places to find content, Channel 4 needs to transform to meet those evolving habits," she said, adding that Channel 4's own channel, streaming service and other offerings remain its primary home for programming.

Karl Holmes, general manager for Disney+ across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, called the agreement the company's most ambitious in the region. "This collaboration, though, is our most ambitious yet, and it will bring more shows, bigger shows to our customers here in the U.K.," he said. Holmes said Disney+ subscribers in the region have grown 30 percent over the last 18 months, and said engagement has risen alongside the subscriber count. He attributed part of that to local programming obtained through arrangements with free-to-air broadcasters.

Adam Smith, chairman of direct-to-consumer at Disney Entertainment, said local broadcaster partnerships matter as the company builds its content libraries. "Channel 4 has created shows with strong appeal to audiences in the U.K. and Ireland, and we're excited to bring some of those favorites to Disney+," he said.

Data from the U.K. measurement firm BARB shows Channel 4's audience skews older than Disney+'s. Viewers aged 55 and over account for 63 percent of Channel 4's viewership hours, compared with 11 percent on Disney+. Viewers aged 16 to 34 make up 39 percent of Disney+'s audience, against 10 percent on Channel 4.

Dogra said the agreement does not change how Channel 4 distributes its own programming. "It's important to say that our owned and operated services, whether it's the main channel or the streaming service, still remain very important," she said. "They remain home of the vast majority of Channel 4 programming, but this [deal] is really a way for us to work with a brilliant partner and reach potential new audiences."

The companies have not set a specific launch date. Further details on timing and the titles included in the partnership will be released later.