Channel 4 shows and its main channel will be on Disney+ at no extra cost from early 2027
Subscribers in the UK and Ireland will get new Channel 4 series on the day they air, the live Channel 4 HD channel and a back catalogue including 24 Hours in A&E.
Disney+ subscribers in the UK and Ireland will be able to watch Channel 4 inside the Disney+ app from early next year, without paying anything extra.
The two companies announced the deal on Tuesday. It covers Channel 4's main channel in HD, shown live, plus hundreds of hours of its programmes on demand. Several new Channel 4 series each year will appear on Disney+ at the same moment they are released on Channel 4 itself.
The first three titles named are Maya, a dark comedy thriller starring Bella Ramsey as one half of a mother and daughter in witness protection; Stepping Up, a comedy about an overkeen stepdad, led by Denise Welch; and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Older shows in the catalogue include Big Mood, Tip Toe and 24 Hours in A&E.
Channel 4 programmes will sit in their own branded area of Disney+, laid out the same way as the rest of the service.
One app instead of two
ISPreview, which covers broadband and TV, pointed out that Disney+ subscribers would no longer need a separate app for Channel 4's on-demand shows.
The announcement does not mention any change to Channel 4's own channel or streaming service, or to the price of a Disney+ subscription.
The companies have not given an exact launch date or a full list of programmes. They said both would be confirmed later.
Why broadcasters are doing this
UK viewers increasingly watch through streaming platforms rather than live channels. ISPreview said the move helps public service broadcasters such as Channel 4 find new sources of revenue as that shift continues.
Disney said the agreement was one of the most significant local partnerships it had signed anywhere in the world for Disney+. Channel 4 said the service would put its shows in front of audiences in new places, and described the deal as an example of broadcasters and streamers working together.
Adam Smith, who chairs Disney Entertainment's direct-to-consumer business, said partnerships with local broadcasters were an important part of how Disney+ builds its libraries in each country.
