The streaming service Disney+ has reached an agreement with Italy’s national broadcaster RAI to bring a curated set of RAI programs onto the platform. Under the arrangement negotiated with RAI Com, select unscripted and scripted titles will be available to subscribers in Italy shortly after they air on linear television. This move continues Disney+’s broader European strategy of partnering with major public broadcasters to mix globally recognized series with strong local content.
The collaboration covers both current broadcasts and recent catalog titles. Among the unscripted formats that will be offered with next-day availability are the Francesca Fagnani-hosted talk show Belve and the game show The Floor – Ne rimarrà solo uno. A dedicated collection on Disney+ will assemble the selected RAI programs alongside the streamer s existing Italian selections, aiming to make local storytelling more visible to subscribers.
What the agreement brings to viewers
In scripted drama and series, the deal adds acclaimed titles such as Braccialetti rossi, Mina Settembre, My Brilliant Friend (also known as L amica geniale), Un passo dal cielo and Màkari. The roster also includes the popular docu-reality format Il Collegio, in which teenagers experience a retro boarding school environment without modern devices. By placing these programs in a single collection, Disney+ intends to make it easier for subscribers to discover Italian productions that have resonated with large national audiences.
These additions will sit alongside RAI titles already available on the service, such as Don Matteo, I Bastardi Di Pizzofalcone, Un Medico In Famiglia and Doc – Nelle Tue Mani, as well as newer Italian originals from Disney+ including The Lions of Sicily, The Ignorant Angels, This is not Hollywood and Boris 4. The net effect is a deeper local catalog that pairs public-broadcaster staples with the platform s own productions.
How the deal fits into Disney+ strategy
Executives at Disney+ have framed these content-sharing pacts as mutually beneficial: free-to-air channels retain the audience scale and production budgets typical of public broadcasters, while the streamer gains authentic, regionally resonant programming. The partnership with RAI continues a sequence of similar agreements across Europe with broadcasters such as Atresmedia, RTVE, ITV, SIC, ARD and ZDF, reinforcing a pattern of local collaboration that complements global franchises.
From the broadcaster perspective, the arrangement provides an additional outlet to reach younger or streaming-first viewers without replacing the primacy of free-to-air premieres. For Disney+, the plan is to broaden audience choice and deepen local relevance through a mix of trusted national titles and international hits, creating a fuller, locally attuned entertainment offering.
Timing and distribution mechanics
A key operational point is the next-day streaming window: selected shows will appear on Disney+ beginning the day after they air on RAI 2. This preserves the linear premiere while allowing rapid on-demand access for viewers who prefer streaming. The arrangement was formalized through negotiations with RAI Com, the commercial arm that handles RAI s international sales and distribution.
Broader European context
The RAI deal is part of a deliberate push by Disney+ to collaborate with national broadcasters across Europe. Previous agreements and ongoing conversations with public and commercial networks show a consistent approach: integrate high-profile local content into a global streaming catalog while respecting broadcasters’ linear schedules and audience relationships. The result is a hybrid model that seeks to combine the reach of traditional television with the convenience of modern streaming.
Implications for Italian audiences and creators
For viewers in Italy, the partnership means easier access to an expanded selection of Italian drama and unscripted formats via a familiar streaming interface. For creators and RAI itself, the arrangement offers additional lifecycle value for series and formats, extending visibility beyond initial broadcasts. Both sides present the deal as a way to celebrate and distribute Italian storytelling more widely, while keeping the integrity of public-broadcast premieres intact.
Overall, the agreement between Disney+ and RAI represents a strategic blending of linear television heritage with on-demand distribution, reflecting a broader industry shift toward cooperative models that benefit platforms, broadcasters and audiences alike.