Demand for UK scripted series in the US continues to shift, with BritBox, PBS, and AMC’s range of services remaining the most consistent buyers of completed TV shows. Show Tracker highlights how interest has changed among other platforms that don’t brand themselves as dedicated homes for British TV.
Interest from US buyers acquiring new completed series from the UK peaked in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic drove up demand for content across studio-owned streaming platforms. Many of these services launched that same year, entering a race for content volume.
However, that demand dropped off quickly and only began to rebound in 2023 and 2024, spurred by the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild strikes. Some UK distributors had hoped the strikes would recreate the urgency seen during COVID, but uptake did not reach those earlier highs.
Free TV channels beyond PBS have largely avoided first-window UK acquisitions, with the exception of The CW. Over the past five years, it picked up four UK scripted series - mostly Sky Originals - before shifting its focus more recently to Canadian imports.
Netflix and Amazon both acquired UK series for US audiences in 2023, with Amazon taking four titles that year and Netflix taking two titles in 2024. This marked a return after a long lull in acquisition activity, but does not match the rise of their more recent second-window acquisitions.
So far in 2025, BritBox and AMC remain the primary buyers. BritBox acquired A Cruel Love and Ludwig from ITV Studios, while AMC picked up The Catch from All3Media and Nautilus from Disney - originally set for Disney+ before its UK rights were sold to Amazon.
UK series still have dependable homes in the US, but access to higher-profile, better-funded platforms remains limited - unless market pressures force American buyers to look abroad. If audience appetite for high-quality British drama grows, new opportunities could follow.
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