ITV has agreed to invest up to £3 million in Joe Wicks’ health and fitness platform The Body Coach, boosting the broadcaster’s push into digital consumer brands.
The deal was completed through ITV’s AdVentures Invest fund and will see The Body Coach advertise across ITV’s linear channels and its streaming platform ITVX, giving the app access to one of the UK’s largest broadcast audiences.
Wicks launched The Body Coach app in late 2020, building on the huge popularity he gained during the Covid lockdowns, when his daily home workouts became a staple for millions of households. The app offers personalized workout plans, healthy recipes, and access to online communities designed to keep users engaged.
A new television advertising campaign will launch on January 1, with spots airing during shows hosted by Wicks on ITV1 and ITVX.
Wicks said the partnership marks a significant milestone in the brand’s growth.
“When I started my park boot camps over 12 years ago, I never imagined that The Body Coach would grow into a brand that reaches millions of people,” he said.
“Working with ITV allows us to bring a positive, supportive message about health and wellbeing into homes across the UK, at a time when people really need it.”
The investment comes at a crucial time for ITV and other public broadcasters, as traditional television faces increasing pressure from global streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon, as well as digital advertising platforms from Meta and Google.
The backdrop has been further complicated by recent reports that Comcast, owner of Sky, is in talks to take over ITV’s broadcasting arm – raising wider questions about the future of the UK’s public service media and the delivery of domestic news.
Launched in 2021, AdVentures Invest is ITV’s response to these structural changes. The fund takes minority stakes in early-stage and consumer-focused companies alongside venture capital investors in return for long-term advertising commitments on ITV’s platforms.
The Body Coach now joins a growing portfolio of AdVentures-backed companies including location app what3words, online furniture comparison site ufurnish.com and online real estate agency Strike, which later traded as Purplebricks.
For ITV, the strategy aims to develop new revenue streams beyond traditional advertising, while helping consumer brands expand rapidly across television – still one of the most powerful brand-building tools in the UK market.
As for Wicks, the partnership cements his transformation from lockdown fitness phenomenon to full-fledged digital health entrepreneur, with one of the UK’s biggest broadcasters now supporting The Body Coach’s next phase of growth.
