Simon Cowell’s Syco Signs New Three-Year Deal With ITV

ITV has signed a new three-year deal with Simon Cowell’s production banner Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia UK for hit shows Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor. The new partnership will commence in spring 2017 with Britain’s Got Talent and the The X Factor in the fall.

“Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor are both big, brilliant, wonderful shows and I am delighted that they will continue to take up their place as an important part of our schedule for the next three years,” said ITV director of television Kevin Lygo in a statement. “They are defining shows for us, ones that we are very proud to have as part of our entertainment slate and they continue year after year, for months at a time, to be amongst the most popular and hugely entertaining formats on television.”

Cowell said: “I want to thank ITV for continuing to be fantastic partners. I’m delighted for the shows and, in particular, for all the talented people who work on them with us.”

The X Factor is currently in its 13^th series and has so far this this series drawn a top consolidated audience of 10 million viewers with a 42% share of viewing, marking the show’s highest audience since 2014. The show averages 7.2 million viewers with a 34% market share, rising to a 48% share of 16-34s, based on Live and Vosdal overnights. This year’s series is currently averaging a consolidated audience of 8.8 million viewers, a 37% share, with a 53% share of 16-34s.

Britain’s Got Talent is ITV’s most-watched entertainment show, averaging 8.2 million viewers with a 39% share of viewing based on overnights and 9.9 million viewers with a 42% share of viewing based on consolidated ratings. The highest rating episode of the 10^th series this year scored 12.5 million viewers and a 51% audience share based on consolidated data, the only program on ITV this year to exceed 12 million viewers.