Last year, ITV content chief Kevin Lygo called the BBC “peculiar” for its decision to spend license fee payers money on Suits and Gossip Girl.
But Lygo’s team has got in on the action and Gossip Girl will soon arrive on ITVX non-exclusively.
ITV has acquired what it has dubbed the “global phenomenon” Gossip Girl franchise, taking the initial series that aired between 2007 and 2012, and the Joshua Safran reboot that kicked off in 2021. The series made big stars out of the likes of Blake Lively, Penn Badgley and Leighton Meester.
“Across both incarnations, Gossip Girl has remained a defining cultural force, launching the careers of major stars, shaping global fashion trends, and cementing its status as one of the most recognisable teen drama franchises of the 21st century,” ITV said. ITV’s deal was struck with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Distribution.
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The news comes more than a year after Lygo said it was “peculiar” that the BBC was buying splashy U.S. shows like Suits and Gossip Girl during a downturn period when it was becoming harder to afford original content. He said he had been “surprised” to see adverts for these shows during the BBC’s coverage of the Euros soccer tournament. “I don’t quite understand why when the BBC are falling on difficulty with money and costs of programing, and are struggling to fund [original shows like] Newsnight, they can find the money to buy Suits and Gossip Girl and things like that,” said Lygo at the time.
Deadline understands the Gossip Girl deal is non-exclusive. We have asked the BBC if the show will remain on iPlayer.
ITV has consistently looked to beef up its ITVX streaming service and has a content swap deal in place with Disney. The network also acquired NBC’s Grosse Pointe Garden Society today from Universal Television.