Credit: ABCOn Tuesday, Disney+ ended its partnership with the BBC for the long-running series Doctor Who, confirming that it would not be involved in the production of the next season. The BBC released a statement indicating that the change was Disney’s decision, and that it remained committed to releasing the 2026 Christmas special and the following season on its channels in the U.K. and Ireland.
Disney+ and the BBC first announced that the streamer would be the international home for Doctor Who in October 2022. The companies collaborated in producing the two most recent seasons of the six-decade-old series, starring Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor.
With Gatwa’s departure in May, fans were looking forward to a potential return of Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) as a possible 16th Doctor–though the BBC and Disney+ never confirmed the rumors.
The Walt Disney Company has been tight-lipped about the next season of Doctor Who, sparking concern that the Mouse may be planning to drop its investment in the series. On October 28, the BBC confirmed the rumors, stating that Disney+ had ended its partnership as the international home of the sci-fi drama series.
“We’d like to thank Disney+ for being terrific global partners and collaborators over the past two seasons, and for the upcoming The War Between the Land and the Sea,” said Lindsay Salt, director of drama at the BBC.
“The BBC remains fully committed to Doctor Who, which continues to be one of our most loved dramas, and we are delighted that Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special for 2026. We can assure fans, the Doctor is not going anywhere, and we will be announcing plans for the next series in due course, which will ensure the TARDIS remains at the heart of the BBC.”
The Doctor Who spinoff special, The War Between the Land and the Sea, will stream on Disney+ as scheduled in 2026, as well as on the BBC and BBC iPlayer for viewers in the U.K. and Ireland.
The two seasons of Doctor Who produced under Disney+ and the BBC, as well as associated specials, will continue to stream on Disney+. However, future series content will not be made available on the international streaming platform.
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