In a significant move blending media and wellness, broadcaster ITV has finalised an agreement to invest up to £3 million into the health and fitness platform created by lockdown sensation Joe Wicks.
A Partnership Forged in Pandemic Popularity
The deal centres on The Body Coach app, which Wicks launched in late 2020. This timing capitalised on his extraordinary rise to fame during the Covid-19 lockdowns, when his free, daily 'PE with Joe' workout videos streamed into millions of homes. The app builds on that community spirit, offering users personalised fitness plans, a library of healthy recipes, and access to motivational online groups.
As part of the newly inked agreement, The Body Coach will receive advertising airtime across ITV's broadcast channels and its streaming service, ITVX. A dedicated television commercial is scheduled to launch on 1 January, airing during the ad breaks of a Joe Wicks-fronted show on ITV1 and ITVX.
Strategic Investment in Challenging Times
This investment has been executed through ITV AdVentures Invest, the broadcaster's media-for-equity fund established in 2021. The fund allows ITV to take minority stakes in early-stage, direct-to-consumer digital businesses, providing them with advertising credit to help achieve scale. Past beneficiaries include online estate agent Strike, furniture site ufurnish.com, and location app what3words.
The announcement arrives during a period of strategic uncertainty for ITV. It comes just weeks after reports emerged that US media giant Comcast—owner of Sky and Universal Studios—has entered talks to acquire ITV's broadcasting business. This has sparked wider concerns about the future of UK public service broadcasting, as traditional networks grapple with audience and revenue migration to global streaming platforms and digital giants.
"A Positive Message for Millions of Homes"
For Joe Wicks, the partnership marks a milestone in a journey that began over twelve years ago with bootcamps in a park. "I never imagined that The Body Coach would grow into a brand reaching millions of people," Wicks stated. He emphasised that collaborating with ITV enables him to "bring a positive, supportive message about health and wellbeing into millions of homes at a time when people need it most."
Wicks has previously extended his brand into family wellness through an animated collaboration with Studio AKA, creators of Hey Duggee, producing five-minute workout videos for children. The ITV deal represents a major step in scaling his digital fitness empire through the power of mainstream television advertising.
