Full Breakdown
Disney+ and Hulu Confirm “Rivals” Season 3
6/16/2026, 9:04:15 PM
Season 3 Announcement and Core Details
Disney+ and Hulu announced Tuesday that “Rivals” will return for a 12-episode third season. The renewal comes before season 2 resumes in November with six more episodes. In the U.S. the series will debut as a Hulu original; elsewhere it will stream as a Disney+ original.
Series Overview and Key Personnel
Based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles, “Rivals” has won International Emmy and BAFTA awards. Produced by Happy Prince (ITV Studios), its season 2 debut in May became Disney+’s top EMEA original premiere in the UK and Ireland, measured by three-day views. The cast features David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner, Bella Maclean, Nafessa Williams, Victoria Smurfit, Claire Rushbrook and Danny Dyer. Executive producers Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Alexander Lamb lead Happy Prince’s production. Season 3 will be co-executive-produced by Olivier-Award-winning playwright Laura Wade and Felicity Blunt.
Viewership Milestones and Data
Disney+ reports that season 2’s first part set the platform’s highest-ever three-day premiere view count for an EMEA original in the UK and Ireland. The strong performance prompted the commission of a full 12-episode third season.
Official Statements from Disney+ and Producers
Disney+ UK framed season 3 as a continuation of heightened stakes after season 2’s “scandalous revelations.” Lee Mason, VP of scripted content for Disney+ EMEA, praised the “bold, irreverent and endlessly entertaining world created by Dame Jilly Cooper” and lauded the cast and Happy Prince. Executive producers Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Alexander Lamb thanked viewers and noted Cooper’s absence, as she did not live to see season 2.
Verbatim Quotes
- “As the dust settles post the scandalous revelations in season 2, we see the stakes become higher and the alliances more fragile, with nothing staying buried for long,” — Disney+ (U.K.)
- “The phenomenal response to Rivals is a credit to the bold, irreverent and endlessly entertaining world created by Dame Jilly Cooper, our cast, creative team and production partners at Happy Prince,” — Lee Mason, VP, Scripted, Disney+ EMEA
- “We’ve been delighted and overwhelmed by the audience’s response to season two of Rivals – testament to the hard work from everyone working on Rivals both on and off screen.” — Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Series Executive Producer
- “But she’s still very much with us in spirit and would be so delighted that season three has been greenlit.” — Dominic Treadwell-Collins & Alexander Lamb, Series Executive Producers
Future Outlook and Impact
The third-season order signals Disney+ and Hulu’s confidence in expanding the “Cooperverse” and reinforces their strategy to anchor original scripted drama on their platforms. Season 2 will resume in November with six additional episodes, completing its split-season run. Production on season 3 is underway, with a release slated for later in 2024, though an exact premiere date has not been announced.
