15/09/2025 - The new content-sharing agreements demonstrate the global streaming service’s increased interest in the audiences of national broadcasters

Disney has struck a third partnership deal with commercial broadcasters in Western Europe, linking up now with Spanish media group Atresmedia after pacts with the UK OTT service ITVX and Germany’s public television broadcaster ZDF. From the start of September, Disney+ subscribers in Spain have gained access to more than 300 hours of Spanish-language content produced by Atresmedia, known worldwide as the company behind the hit series and franchise Money Heist. According to an analysis by Ampere Analysis, this points to a trend in which streaming services are increasingly seeking to access and attract audiences of local broadcasters, particularly in Western Europe.

The content will be presented in an “Atresplayer Hub” in the Disney+ app, offering streaming originals, Antena 3 series and other content. The new partnership is similar to Disney’s deal with ZDF, where a huge range of content from ZDF’s media library has become available to Disney+ subscribers – in a similar digital hub – in Germany, Austria and Switzerland at no extra charge. The hub opened on 27 August and will expand to over 3,000 episodes and films in total by the end of the year.

These types of partnerships allow Disney to try to reach more Spanish and German consumers by offering more familiar, local content natively on the Disney+ platform, thereby potentially attracting new subscribers. On the flip side, ZDF and Atresmedia content is set to benefit from recognition via the Disney+ platform, through its branding.

The ITVX deal is positioned more as a content-sharing swap, launched on 16 July with the name “Taste of Disney+/ITVX”. The partnership between the two allows users of each platform to watch selected titles from the other – including premium shows such as Disney+’s Andor and The Bear – aiming to attract different types of subscribers. According to Ampere Analysis, Disney can reach an additional 26% of UK internet households aged 18-64 from ITVX – seeking to make the most of the platform’s appeal to older viewers – while ITVX will reach an additional 14% through Disney, aiming for younger viewers. According to Ampere, this content swap enables 40% of UK internet households to watch new content at no additional cost.