Battle for Gogglebox as rival broadcaster makes play for series amid string of Channel 4 show axes
GOGGLEBOX is at the centre of a channel tug-of-war as a rival broadcaster made a play to steal the much-loved show from Channel 4.
ITV attempted to poach the award-winning programme earlier this year - and the move could still come off amid a string of show axes as Channel 4 slashes its budgets.
It was reported today that ITV entertainment boss Kevin Lygo, who is a huge Gogglebox fan, met with its makers Studio Lambert to discuss contracts.
reported that the show, which made stars of big names like Scarlett Moffatt, Steph and Dom and Reverend Kate Bottley, is renewed every three years and is thought to have been mid-contract when Lygo met with the producers.
At present, the show remains with Channel 4 but that could all change when it reaches the end of that current three-year term.
Any move would be one of the biggest shake ups in UK broadcasting history since The Great British Bake Off switched from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2017.
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It would be a major loss for Channel 4, with Gogglebox its second most-watched show behind Bake Off.
Now on its twenty-first civilian series and fifth celebrity version, Gogglebox has won a number of awards and been part of the British cultural zeitgeist for more than a decade.
The heart-warming format documents families and groups of friends around the nation who are filmed for their observations and reactions to the previous week’s TV from their own homes.
Studio Lambert has become the biggest producer of unscripted reality TV in the country with titles like The Traitors, Come Dine With Me and Race Across The World to its name.
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Notably, Lygo’s bid came in the weeks leading up to ITV declaring its interest in Studio Lambert owner All3Media, which is reportedly up for sale at a valuation of around £1billion.
ITV responded to media speculation regarding the All3Media deal on June 16 by saying it is “actively exploring the possible acquisition,” while stressing “there can be no certainty as to whether any transaction will take place.”
Competition issues could arise if ITV were to push on with the acquisition as it would mean the channel owned a whole host of production companies that make shows for its main rival Channel 4, such as Lime Pictures, which produces Hollyoaks, as well as Studio Lambert.
Sources speculated that the competition regulator would likely become involved if the deal proceeds.