Doctor Who says goodbye to Disney+ as BBC takes back global reins
A new Christmas special from Russell T Davies is set for 2026 as the streaming deal wraps up.
The two-season partnership between the BBC and Disney+ for the global streaming rights to Doctor Who has officially concluded. The BBC announced today that Disney+ will no longer be the international home for the long-running sci-fi drama after the upcoming spin-off series. Despite this major shift in distribution, the corporation confirmed its commitment to the show’s future, promising a brand-new Christmas special in 2026 written by series veteran Russell T Davies.
“We’d like to thank Disney+ for being terrific global partners and collaborators over the past two seasons, and for the upcoming [spinoff series] The War Between the Land and the Sea,” stated Lindsay Salt, director of drama at the BBC. She emphasized that the BBC remains “fully committed to Doctor Who,” adding, “we are delighted that Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special for 2026.”
The Disney+ deal covered the two seasons starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and the highly anticipated spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, which will be released on BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year. Disney+ will continue to stream the content produced during this partnership in its respective territories. In addition to the main series and the upcoming The War Between the Land and the Sea spin-off, the BBC is also diversifying the franchise with a new Doctor Who animation series for CBeebies in development, catering to a younger audience.
The Next Incarnation
The future of the Doctor’s regeneration remains a major talking point following Ncuti Gatwa’s departure in May. His final episode concluded with the Doctor regenerating into the form of Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), the fan-favorite companion of the Ninth and Tenth Doctors.
Related stories
While the BBC has not yet confirmed whether Billie Piper will officially take over as the next Doctor, if confirmed, she would become the second woman to take on the character after Jodie Whittaker’s acclaimed run as the Thirteenth Doctor. The 2026 Christmas special is expected to provide clarity on the identity of the next Time Lord and the direction of the long-running series.
Follow MeriStation USA on X (formerly known as Twitter). Your video game and entertainment website for all the news, updates, and breaking news from the world of video games, movies, series, manga, and anime. Previews, reviews, interviews, trailers, gameplay, podcasts and more! Follow us now!
Complete your personal details to comment