ITV has announced a further ring-fenced £80 million (€96.7m) in commissioning spend for diverse projects over the next three years, and a doubling of the Diversity Development Fund (that helps develop qualifying ideas) to £1 million, following the success of the inaugural Diversity Commissioning Fund.

The news comes as ITV publishes a report on the inaugural Diversity Commissioning Spend (formerly Diversity Commissioning Fund), which in 2022 ringfenced £80 million over three years for diverse commissions, alongside an additional £500k Diversity Development Fund to develop ideas that could qualify for the fund.

The report reveals that the Diversity Commissioning Spend has driven success in commissioning from more diverse-led companies, reaching new audiences and championing on and off-screen talent. ITV’s Media and Entertainment team and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team are today pleased to confirm its return for 2025 – 2027. Known now as the Diversity Commissioning Spend, this £80 million investment is ringfenced money in ITV’s existing programme budget, driving racial and disability equity across the TV industry. Its data-driven approach means ITV has focused on addressing the areas of greatest underrepresentation – People of Colour (POC) and Deaf, Disabled or Neurodivergent (DDN) people.

It is once again available for qualifying companies who can demonstrate diverse ownership or leadership, or two of the remaining three criteria around either diverse creative leadership, diverse stories and portrayal on-screen, or diverse salary spend.

Alongside the Diversity Commissioning Spend, ITV  will be doubling investment in the Diversity Development Fund to £1 million over 2025-27, and expanding how it can be used to include making sets more accessible and developing underrepresented trainees. ITV’s Diversity Development Fund is additional spend on top of ITV’s programme budget, and has to date supported a pipeline of ideas and creatives over the past three years, developing over 30 projects, resulting in several commissions, and empowered upcoming writers and directors through initiatives like Fresh Cuts and Amplify: The Companies.

Highlights from the 2022-2024 Diversity Commissioning Spend include:

• Invested £83.3 million across 43 commissions including new shows, formats, and returning favourites, with £64.1 million invested across 13 diverse-led production companies

• Across 2022-24, doubled average spend with diverse-led production companies (compared to 2021)

• First-time commissions from diverse-led companies including Big Productions, Douglas Road Productions, Ranga Bee Productions, Postcard Productions and Gold Wala

• Inspired real social change, including a surge in people looking to learn British Sign Language after John & Joe Bishop: Life After Deaf

• Awards and nominations, including from BAFTA, the Royal Television Society and the National Television Awards

• From 2022-24, Diversity Commissioning Spend shows had greater diversity off-screen compared to other ITV shows – Deaf, Disabled & Neurodivergent off-screen contributions were 63 per cent higher, and contributions from People Of Colour overall and in key creative roles were more than twice as high

• Reached new diverse audiences: 9 in 10 shows delivered either a higher proportion of POC or Disabled viewers than other ITV shows and 4 in 10 a higher proportion of both.

ITV’s Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Sam Tatlow, commented: “We’re proud of the successes the Diversity Commissioning Spend has driven and we look forward to continuing to work with our brilliant commissioning team to find more great content that is entertaining, inclusive and gives equitable opportunities for talented underrepresented people to develop in our industry. We will continue to collaborate closely with our fellow broadcasters and industry partners to maintain momentum in 2025 to drive change on and off screen.”

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