BRITAIN’S Got Talent bosses are poised to sign a £100million deal that would see the hit show extended over three months.
ITV aims to make it their jewel in the crown that could overtake BBC’s Strictly.
Expanding BGT — from February to May next year — would also fill the gap left by the axing of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
Recent BGT series have run for seven weeks from mid-April to early June.
The show, produced by Thames, is reaching the end of its five-year contract in 2025.
ITV — boosted by 24billion total BGT views online — is expected to agree a three-year deal, or another five-year deal.
On the night and seven-day catch-up, the show rakes in seven million views on average, down from over 13million in 2009.
But BGT has huge potential earnings in online advertising.
A TV insider said: “BGT has been on since 2007 and viewing numbers are higher than ever — it’s just fans are watching it differently.
“Having over seven million viewers makes it the most watched entertainment show after I’m A Celebrity.
“Stretching BGT over three months could make it even more of a presence.
“Online is where advertisers are now pumping in their money, but to get the clips they need the show.
“So BGT’s creators have the upper hand as they strike a new deal.”
The current series’ first episode was watched eight million times on the night and via catch-up.
BGT’s YouTube channel has 20million subscribers. Most viewed clip is Calum Scott singing Dancing On My Own in 2015 (390million views).
In contrast, Strictly’s YouTube has 772,000 subscribers. Its most watched is the pro dancers doing a routine to Cotton Eye Joe (nine million views).
In all, BGT’s latest series has been viewed 660million times across Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.
Episode one singer Sydnie Christmas’s audition has been viewed 54million times in six weeks.
The insider added: “BGT has often, unfairly, been criticised for including a mix of British and foreign acts. But these can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere in the world.
“Compare that to Strictly whose stars are mostly known only to British audiences.”
A three-month BGT would be filled with roughly six Saturdays of audition shows, followed by six Saturdays of semis, then a final. There is even scope for a Sunday results show.
Currently semis and final all air in a week. This year it ends on June 2.
A call for acts for the 2025 season has already gone out, with auditions expected to be earlier, in October.
ITV and Thames did not comment.
Below, we have listed BGT’s Top Ten viewed clips online.
CALUM SCOTT (2015) 390M VIEWS
SINGER was part of a Maroon 5 tribute band when he auditioned for series nine and got Simon Cowell’s golden buzzer after performing Robyn’s hit Dancing on My Own.
Calum made it to the final but finished in sixth place.
SUSAN BOYLE (2009) 262M VIEWS
THE Scot blew everyone away with a perfect rendition of I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables.
Susan reached the final but lost to dance troupe Diversity.
She went on to huge international success, thanks to her audition clip going viral.
BARS & MELODY (2014) 251M VIEWS
RAPPER Leondre Devries and singer Charlie Lenehan teamed up for series eight and made the live semi-finals with their school bullying spin on Faith Evans track Hope.
The pals, who met online, lost out to Collabro, ending up in third place.
PAUL POTTS (2007) 195M VIEWS
THE tenor won the first series after stunning the judges with his version of opera classic Nessun dorma.
Paul went on to become a star, and in a film about his rise to fame — called One Chance — he was played by James Corden.
BONETICS (2015) 171M VIEWS
VIEWERS cringed at seeing 17-year-old Shak Alade contort his body in weird and wacky ways.
He impressed the judges when he told them dancing had helped him overcome behavioural issues, but left them shocked with his routine.
JONATHAN & CHARLOTTE (2012) 148M VIEWS
FANS fell in love with opera singer Jonathan Antoine as he appeared to be hit by stage fright in series six.
But he and partner Charlotte Jaconelli then got a standing ovation for their performance of The Prayer and ended up coming second overall.
NATALIE OKRI (2009) 129M VIEWS
THE ten-year-old schoolgirl started singing aged four.
She stunned the judges with her version of the Alicia Keys hit No One and got a standing ovation from Kelly Brook.
Natalie reached the semi-finals and later signed with Cowell’s Syco label.
DARCEY OAKE (2014) 126M VIEWS
THE Canadian illusionist made birds appear from burning feathers.
Judge David Walliams hailed his series eight magic act the best he’d seen.
Darcy made the final, where he was suspended above a bear trap on a burning rope, but came fifth.
ASANDA JEZILE (2013) 107M VIEWS
ASANDA was 11 when she performed Rihanna’s track Diamonds.
As she brought her sass to the stage judge Alesha Dixon told her: “Your voice is incredible!”
She made the series seven final and in 2018 competed to represent the UK at Eurovision.
NICO & PADDY (2014) 92M VIEWS
SALSA loving pensioner Paddy Jones and her dance partner Nico lit up the stage with their acrobatic routine in series eight.
They finished ninth in the finals, but became firm favourites with the judges, especially Amanda Holden.
By Rod McPhee, TV Editor
WHAT does this mean for Saturday night telly?
ITV are well and truly drawing the battle lines with the BBC.
Sure, the three-month series won’t go head-to-head with the Beeb’s entertainment goliath. But there’ll be more of a comparison.
The talent show has 12 weeks to build up a momentum and it might just help to boost ratings.
The Beeb will fear big shows like Gladiators may have to fight harder to get people tuning in.
For a long time it felt like ITV cowered to the BBC’s dominance of Saturday night telly — now they’re playing to their strengths with the bigger, better BGT.
And the corporation can no longer rest on its laurels.