Rai and Disney+ have inked a groundbreaking agreement that will bring a curated selection of iconic Italian public service content to the global streaming platform. This collaboration, facilitated through Rai's commercial arm Rai Com, significantly broadens the reach of Rai’s programming while enhancing the local catalog for Disney+ subscribers in Italy.
A key feature of this deal includes next-day streaming rights for two of Rai 2’s most popular shows. Starting this season, the sharp talk show Belve, hosted by Francesca Fagnani, and the competitive game show The Floor – Ne rimarrà solo uno, featuring Paola Perego and Gabriele Vagnato, will be available on Disney+ immediately following their linear broadcast.
Furthermore, Disney+ will integrate a massive wave of high-quality Italian dramas into its library. Upcoming additions include fan favorites such as Braccialetti rossi, Mina Settembre, L’amica geniale, Un passo dal cielo, and Màkari, alongside the generational hit docu-reality Il Collegio. These titles join an already impressive roster of Rai content on the platform, which includes Doc - Nelle Tue Mani, Don Matteo, and I Bastardi Di Pizzofalcone.
This move places Rai Com within an elite group of European free-to-air broadcasters partnering with Disney+, joining the likes of ITVX in the UK, Atresmedia and RTVE in Spain, and Germany’s ARD and ZDF.
Giampaolo Rossi, CEO of Rai, stated: “For Rai, Disney is a long-standing strategic partner. With this agreement, the Public Service becomes part of a prestigious European network characterized by a common vision oriented towards the enhancement of local narrative within international digital ecosystems. In these years RaiPlay has represented the reference point of Rai's transformation into a Digital Media Company: the nearly 23 million active accounts (53% of the Italian digital total audience), the over 7000 catalog titles (superior to the BBC), the nearly 800 million hours of time spent in 2025 in the fruition of live and on-demand content, represent an almost unique international case history. We have thought to complement the extraordinary role of RaiPlay with a further opportunity consistent with the function of Public Service: accompanying iconic Rai content towards different audiences and fruition methods, amplifying its visibility and strengthening in a structural way the digital presence of the Company and the recognition of the Rai brand, in an increasingly competitive and interconnected scenario.”
Karl Holmes, General Manager, Disney+ EMEA, added: “This collaboration with Rai will bring Disney+ subscribers in Italy an even wider selection of incredibly iconic local content. Rai boasts a deep connection with the audience and a decades-long heritage of high-quality storytelling, and we are proud to be able to propose them to our audience on Disney+. Building on over 40 years of collaboration between Disney and Rai in Italy, this initiative also aligns with our global approach of partnering with free-to-air broadcasters across Europe, helping them bring their stories to a wider and younger audience, while offering Disney+ subscribers even more extraordinary local entertainment and new ways to enjoy their most loved shows.”
