Big news for Whovians everywhere, the BBC has confirmed that Doctor Who will continue with a new Christmas special slated for Christmas 2026. However, the show’s recent distribution partnership with Disney+ will not continue into the next season. In a statement, BBC says the show remains “fully committed” and will announce further plans for future series in due course.
Since 2023, Disney+ has helped bring the show to a wider international audience and contributed to funding several recent projects. The relationship with the streamer dates back to the show’s 60th anniversary, and Disney has aired multiple seasons, including last year’s Christmas special. The news of the departure comes months after Deadline reported that BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell stated Disney was a “key partner” and the partnership between the two companies was “crucial” back in July.
“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. 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,” said BBC Director of Drama, Lindsay Salt in a statement.
Under the Disney deal, the show ran for a total of 26 episodes, but its future streaming uncertainty comes in a milestone year. Back in March, the show marked 20 years since its 2005 revival, with a relaunch that reintroduced the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor) to a new generation and set the template for the modern series. That revival transformed Doctor Who into the international, franchise-driven property it is today. Whovians can find classic episodes of the franchise across multiple streaming services, including Britbox, Tubi, among others.
BBC has yet to announce where the future episodes will stream outside the UK, but you can still watch the most recent season on Disney+.