ITV is looking for six sports documentaries from diverse-led production companies for its rebranded Outlier scheme.
The broadcaster has reconfigured its Fresh Cuts strand for its ‘Year of Sport’, which includes the World Cup and the Nations Championship.
It is inviting applications from production companies owned by People of Colour and/or Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodivergent (DDN) creatives for the six 46-minute documentaries, which will have a £50,000 budget from ITV’s Diversity Commissioning Spend.
Each should have ‘authored storytelling’ and tell ‘hidden in plain sight’ stories, with high stakes, emotional depth, and a premium streaming sensibility.
ITV said: “The documentaries are expected to be cinematic character-driven, and culturally relevant, uncovering overlooked stories or revisiting defining moments within the world of sport.
“While the subject matter must be sports-related and unscripted, it does not necessarily have to focus on diversity, provided it is produced by a diverse-led company.
ITV launched Fresh Cuts four years ago to address the continued lack of diverse talent in senior behind-the-camera roles, as highlighted by the Creative Diversity Network’s Diamond monitoring.
The broadcaster and has aired 22 documentaries and a comedy special under the banner to date.
Last year’s batch of documentaries were tied into Black History Month and UK Disability History Month.
Commissioning editor Richard Botchway said Outlier “represents a fresh step forward in our commitment to diverse storytelling”.
He added: “By focusing on sports in 2026, we are giving some of the UK’s most talented diverse-led production companies the stage to tell gripping, high-stakes stories that can surprise and thrill our audiences.”
ITV DEI and talent lead Nahrein Kemp added: “Rebranding as Outlier allows us to sharpen our focus. We are looking for those 'hidden in plain sight' stories—the ones that make you wonder how you’ve never heard them before.
“This is about championing fresh perspectives in an area of programming that brings people together like nothing else.”
Interested parties can apply via the official Outlier submission form until 10 April.
