Sky, Fremantle Italy, Syco partner for further seasons of X Factor, Italia's Got Talent
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Editor
| 17 March 2019

In an exclusive deal that will see four more seasons of the singing competition and two additional seasons of the variety talent show, Sky Italia is to remain the home of The X Factor and Italia’s Got Talent.

The entertainment series are two of Italy’s most successful international formats and flagship shows for Sky Uno and TV8. The extension deal with producers Fremantle Italy and Syco Entertainment will see the new season of The X Factor launch on Sky Uno in September 2019, and Sky Italia’s TV8 will continue to air the hit talent show Italia’s Got Talent, which concludes its current season with its live finale on 22 March.

The X Factor made its debut on Sky in 2011, with Italy being the only country globally to air the format on pay-TV. The Italian production team has introduced several innovations since the show’s inception: The X Factor on the Road (the trip around Italy seeking new voices and talent); The X Factor Daily, a daily show which features the contestants as they prepare for their weekly live performance; the Strafactor, a talent show in the talent show that discovers the most extravagant ‘pop icons’, and a voting system designed to increase audience interaction.

The first Sky-branded edition of Italia's Got Talent was dedicated to a wide variety of talents. It made its debut on Sky Uno in March 2015 and has aired on TV8 since 2016. The X Factor has grown to claims to be Italy’s record performing social show and its grand final of the 2018 series was the most viewed on Sky with over 2.8 million viewers on average with a 13% share and attracting an all-time-record of 48 million votes.

Commenting on the new deal, Nils Hartmann, director of Sky Italia Original Productions said: “We are delighted to announce that the extraordinary journey that led to the results we have achieved so far with The X Factor and Italia's Got Talent will continue thanks to the renewal agreement with Fremantle Italy and Syco Entertainment. The work done in recent years has had, and will continue to have, two pivot points: courage and talent...For all these reasons, we are excited to be able to continue this journey and to offer our audience unique, exciting and high-quality shows.”

Syco chief Simon Cowell added: “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 favourite international productions. Alongside our partners Fremantle and Sony Music, I am thrilled to continue working with this team and I look forward to see where they take The X Factor and Got Talent next.”