Disney+ and BBC‘sโ Fracturedโ relationship Delays ‘War Betweenโ the Land and the Sea’ โInternational Release
The upcoming Doctor Who spinoff, War Between the Land andโ the Sea,โ will premiere December 7th in the UK with a two-part launch, followed by weekly episodesโฃ throughoutโ the โฃmonth.โ However,โฃ international audiences face a significant โฃwait, as the series will not receive a simultaneous โคrelease โon Disney+ and is currently slated for a 2026 debut onโ the streaming platform.
This staggered rollout reflects a growingโค rift between Disney and โฃthe โขBBC, โฃstemming from broadcast strategy โฃdisagreements over โthe mainโ Doctor Who series.For the pastโข two seasons, the BBC controversially shifted UK broadcast timesโค to prioritize streaming-first releases to โalign with US premiereโ times on Disney+. Disney repeatedly cited diminished UK audience figures-attributed to this change-as a key factor inโ evaluating its partnershipโ with the BBC.
The situation hasโค evolved to the point where the BBC appears to be prioritizing the UK market. while the future of the core Doctor Who seriesโข remains uncertain beyond 2026,international fans will experience a delayโฃ in accessing any โnew content from the Whoniverse. Disney representatives haveโข only confirmed the 2026 release โคwindow for War Between the โขLand โคand the Sea โon Disney+, offering noโข further details.
War Between centers on UNIT’s confrontation with the return of โคthe Seaโ Devils, an ancient race predatingโค humanity. Theโข series’ exclusive initial release in the UK marks a departure from the recent, more coordinated broadcast approach with Disney+.