Sky Italia Renews 'The X Factor' and 'Italia's Got Talent'

The new deal with Fremantle Italy and Syco Entertainment is for multiple seasons.


Sky Italia has inked a new deal with Fremantle Italy and Syco Entertainment to extend seasons of two of its most successful series, The X Factor for four more seasons and Italia’s Got Talent for two more seasons.


The new season of The X Factor will debut on Sky Uno in September. And TV8 will continue to be the exclusive partner of Italia’s Got Talent, which wraps its current season with a live finale on March 22.


Series creator Simon Cowell remarked of the news: “Sky Italia are incredible partners. They are fearless and constantly prepared to reinvent themselves. Most importantly, they totally believe in these shows. Some of the biggest recording artists in Italy have been discovered by The X Factor Italia, and it remains one of my favorite international productions.”


Sky Italia first aired The X Factor in 2011 as the only global franchise airing the show on pay TV. They have launched several innovations over their run, including The X Factor on the Road (a trip around Italy to find new talent); The X Factor Daily (a daily show going behind-the-scenes with top contestants); Strafactor (a talent show aiming to discover the most extravagant pop stars); and a new cutting-edge voting system to maximize audience engagement.


X Factor Italia continues to break social and ratings records in the country, with viewers for the Thursday night show increasing season after season. The 2018 grand finale was the highest-ever-viewed X Factor Italia episode on Sky, with 2.8 million viewers and a 13 percent share, as well as a record 48 million votes.


Italia's Got Talent debuted on Sky Uno in March 2015 and has aired on free-to-air TV8 since 2016. The premiere of the current season attracted 4.2 million viewers in the first week. It remains the most-viewed non-sport show ever on TV8.


The Italia's Got Talent team spends five months scouring Italy in search of the best talent across ages and disciplines. More than 20,000 spectators view the live shows in venues across the country.


“This agreement is an important acknowledgement of the quality of the work our creative and production teams have done, and once again shows the foresight of a publisher that allows us to plan activities over a long period, contributing in a decisive way to creating high-quality formats,” said Fremantle Italy COO Gabriele Immirzi.


Sky Italia Original Productions director Nils Hartmann added, “The work done in recent years has had, and will continue to have, two pivot points, courage and talent. We are excited to be able to continue this journey and to offer our audience unique, exciting and high-quality shows.”