The new era of Doctor Who kicked off with Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor in 2023. His debut season ushered in a completely fresh outlook for the franchise; his first season was marketed as "season 1," setting it aside from all those that came before. And of course, Gatwa's era was spearheaded by a major investment from Disney.
The Disney investment, however, has been thrown into doubt. It's not officially over, but it's safe to say the collaboration is dying. The two full seasons of the show made under Disney's umbrella garnered decent viewership numbers, but Disney sets the bar so high that "decent" doesn't quite cut it.
Should Disney pull the plug on its Doctor Who adventures, it's not the end of the world. The show will indefinitely have a home at the BBC, although they won't be able to provide the sort of money that Disney could. That said, according to a report from industry scooper @MyTimeToShineHello on X, the Whoniverse is now attracting potential new streaming partners, such as Netflix and HBO Max. “Netflix and HBO Max are both in talks to buy the streaming rights for Doctor Who,” their report says. Another insider, Daniel Richtman, has confirmed "promising" talks between streamers.
As of now, the BBC has not confirmed talks with either streamer.
Netflix seems like a solid option for the franchise, but it has to be said that the streamer's track record of renewing shows beyond one season is rocky at best, especially when it comes to sci-fi series. Streaming on HBO Max would be a little weird. Max isn't even available in the UK, so airing the UK's biggest sci-fi export on there seems strange. But hey, it's a great platform for international viewers.
Wherever Doctor Who ends up, viewers will be there. The franchise has cult status and even if a few viewers have dipped out in recent years, its fanbase is legion. Plus, with the incredibly surprising (and a little confusing) reveal that former companion and beloved star Billie Piper is the new Doctor, there's gonna be a lot of eyes on the new season, whenever it comes.
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