ITV sees record advertising but streaming competition still a big threat
The broadcaster plans to pour £1.1bn in its programming content next year but streaming giants may have deeper pockets
Company
ITV PLC
LON:ITV
ITV PLC is a United Kingdom-based advertising funded broadcaster. The Company also operates as an advertising funded media owner in the United Kingdom across all media, including television, radio, press, cinema, outdoor and the Internet. As a producer, ITV makes hours of network television. Its digital channels include ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and Citv. ITV also makes programmes for the BBC, Channel 4, five, Sky and other broadcasters. ITV produces programmes watched on screens from San Francisco to Sydney. In addition, it produces a range of products related to ITV programmes, such as digital video disks (DVDs) and computer games. Its online properties include itv.com and itvlocal.com.
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ITV impresses market with post-pandemic bounce back
Total advertising revenue for the full year 2021 is expected to be the highest in the broadcaster's history
FTSE 100 closes in the green as Wall Street fizzles
The UK blue chip index remains in positive territory while US investors assess latest consumer price figures, the highest since 1990
ITV invests in digital health start-up Feel
Feel recently announced an equity partnership with singer and TV personality Cheryl, who is working closely with the brand on its future products
ITV to adapt more formats to US audiences after Love Island success
Come Dine With Me, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and other formats may soon be shipped to the other side of the Atlantic
ITV snaps up stake in household energy savings website ismybillfair.com
The broadcaster said it has acquired a stake worth £1.25mln in the site, which allows UK households to save money on their bills through their current supplier rather than switching
ITV eyes dividend after Euros drive record advertising revenue
The TV channel is skipping the interim dividend but expects a strong rest of the summer
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FTSE 100 finishes near flat as US inflation puts a lid on gains
The UK's premier share index finished the day down 0.70, or 0.01%, at 7,124, well below the session peak of 7,152 and nearer the low of 7,116
Love Island: ITV hopes for rebound as show restarts on Monday
The show has already raked in £12mln from advertisers
ITV rakes in millions from Love Island ad space bidding war
The broadcaster has reportedly received £12mln in revenues from companies seeking ad space and sponsorship opportunities around the series, which is due to begin airing on Monday
Junk food ad ban could hit ITV and other broadcasters hard
The new rules mean adverts for foods high in sugar, salt and fat will not be allowed on TV before 9pm, while restrictions will also be brought in for online advertising
Supermarkets and Euros games for England and Scotland in focus for Tuesday
There are also results due from DS Smith, Gear4Music, Trackwise Designs and Trifast
ITV tipped as winner as ad market roars back
The UK’s advertising market will grow by 24% in 2021 according to the latest research
Government may rush through Channel 4 privatisation as threat from streaming services grows
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said a decision on whether to privatise the broadcaster could be taken within this parliament.
ITV predicts big ad rebound driven by Love Island return and Euros
ITV expects first-half ad revenues will be up around 26%
ITV unveils investment in what3words location app
What3words divides the entire world into three-metre squares each with a unique three-word identifier code and is used by multiple auto and delivery firms as well as emergency service control rooms in the UK, India and South Africa
ITV target hiked as Barclays eyes 2021 advertising recovery
The bank estimated that over the current year the FTSE 250 broadcaster should see advertising growth of 8% compared to previous estimates of 6%
ITV has most programmes back in production as BritBox counts 2.6mln subscribers
The digital platform is set to launch on Amazon and in South Africa during 2021
ITV reports much improved ad trends but revenues and production still lagging
Advertising spend is expected to be higher in the final quarter of 2020
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ITV, Burberry, WH Smith, and National Grid under the spotlight for a busy Thursday
A number of household names feature in Thursday's diary.
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FTSE 100 breaks 6K and then some on coronavirus vaccine optimism, Dow gains 1K+ on Wall Street
"The challenges of manufacturing and distributing sufficient quantities of a vaccine are substantial. In the meantime, the virus will evolve," cautioned Andrew Boyle, the CEO at corporate finance firm, LGB
ITV restructures broadcast division to reduce costs and increase streaming investment
CEO Carolyn McCall said: “we need an on-demand business which will increasingly be the focus of our new investments in content and technology and which will be our growth engine attracting younger and more targeted audiences”
ITV, WPP and Just Eat Takeaway.com receive price hikes as Barclays reassesses media, internet and e-commerce sectors
The bank said it expected ITV to report a 13% decline in revenues for its third quarter in an update scheduled for November 12
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FTSE 100 finishes in the red and below 6,000 after Federal Reserve update
Britain's blue-chip benchmark finished the day down over 45 points, or 0.75%, to 5,999
ITV nudges higher following strategic investments
The firm has invested in a joint venture to launch its BritBox service in Australia, as well as into the owner of data infrastructure firm InfoSum
ITV ad revenues may have fallen but don't write off TV advertising just yet, says analyst
"The one advantage TV advertising has is that it can deliver a mass-market audience to a brand over a wide media. I don’t think that’s going to disappear in a hurry", said Shore Capital analyst Roddy Davidson
ITV earnings fall by half amid ad revenue slump
The broadcaster reported a “significant decline in the demand for advertising” in the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic pushed firms to cut back on marketing spending
ITV shares upgraded by Deutsche Bank as effects of streaming rivals are priced in
TV has fared better than print media and has enough content and digital avenues to maintain their share of the advertising pie in future, analysts said
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FTSE 100 closes 2.3% ahead as traders come back round to risk
FTSE 100 index started the week well, closing Monday over 135 points higher at 6,032
ITV plans gradual return to operations as UK is expected to loosen restrictions
The TV network has also identified more cost-cutting measures as demand for advertising is plummeting
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ITV big hitter among Wednesday updates
Investors can also expect trading updates from insurer Direct Line and grocery group Ocado
ITV postpones new Love Island season to next year due to pandemic
The reality show was going to air this summer but it will not be feasible in respect of safety measures
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BT, ITV and National Express among key updates in shortened trading week
The coming week will also include the Bank of England's latest interest rate decision, US jobs data, as well as updates from Trainline, Superdry and InterContinental Hotels
Media companies will 'not be materially stretched' by coronavirus crisis, UBS suggests
“We believe most media company’s business models will survive the coronavirus crisis and balance sheets will not be materially stretched beyond available liquidity or existing covenants,” the analysts said
ITV scraps bonuses and cuts director pay 20% amid coronavirus lockdown
The broadcaster has also introduced a recruitment and salary freeze across the entire company
ITV cancels 2019 and 2020 dividends as advertising sales keep falling
Cancelling the 2019 dividend of 5.4p and withdrawing the previously announced intention for an 8p payout for 2020 will keep £300mln of cash in the business
Investors switch off from ITV as Euro 2020 postponed amid coronavirus crisis
The broadcaster had been due to show 19 matches in the June tournament, however, it stressed that the postponement will cause “no loss of sponsorship revenue"
ITV makes progress but challenges still there, analysts say
While the production arm ITV Studios has reported growth, the competition remains fierce and consumer spending may worsen
ITV slips over coronavirus as travel companies defer advertising contracts
Advertising revenue is expected to drop 10% in April from a 2% rise in the quarter to March
ITV to give investors a reality check, while insurers Aviva and Admiral will also be in Thursday’s spotlight
A busy Thursday will bring updates from ITV, Aviva, Admiral, Intu, and Domino's.
ITV has strong titles on offer, but can it survive the giant streaming competitors?
“ITV is doing everything in its power both to reduce reliance on advertising income while reacting to the ever-increasing number of options being provided by new and existing entrants"
ITV’s own productions Love Island, Queer Eye drive better sales
The company has been focusing on its streaming services BritBox, launched in partnership with the BBC, and ITV Hub
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FTSE 100 closes lower as trade worries and strong pound hit index
The UK's premier share index shed nearly 31 points at 7,328 with resource stocks, unsurprisingly, among the top laggards
ITV selling iconic London Television Centre on the South Bank to Mitsubishi Estate for £145.6mln in cash
Part of proceeds of the sale of the site, net of tax and fees, will be used to replace the asset security, and the remaining sale proceeds used to reduce ITV's net debt
Has ITV found an unlikely friend in Brexit?
ITV has often blamed Brexit for holding back ad revenues, but the government’s £100mln splurge on the ‘Get ready for Brexit’ campaign could help the broadcaster to beat full-year expectations
ITV to show more live La Liga matches this season
The UK broadcaster has already agreed to show three games over the next couple of weeks, and talks are underway to extend that deal through to the end of the season
ITV’s first-half ad revenues hold up better than expected as viewers tune in to Love Island
Around 5.5mln people tune in to watch Love Island every night, which has helped ITV offset at least some of the expected drop-off in ad revenues this time around
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 closes in red as mining stocks weigh
FTSE 100 closed in the red on Wednesday as miners weighed after a sell-off in iron ore in China
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ITV investors watching for Love Island effect as new boy enters villa
The Conservative Party leadership contest was decided by a relatively convincing margin of 92,153 votes to 46,656, while Love Island commands consolidated viewing figures of more than 5mln
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 regains positive footing at close as Wall Street makes gains
In New York, the Dow Jones Industrials Average hit 27,153 by midday, while the S&P gained 0.2% and the Nasdaq was up 0.6%.
Full stream ahead! ITV and BBC to launch BritBox streaming service in UK in fourth quarter
BritBox is like Netflix or Amazon Prime, except the content is made up of BBC and ITV content, both new and old
Netflix subscriber miss could place ITV in the takeover crosshairs
Analysts at Liberum said that the FTSE 100 broadcaster would be an "obvious" acquisition option for the streaming giant due to its substantial content production arm, ITV Studios
Love Island to boost ITV in first half, says Liberum as it turns positive on stock
Liberum upgraded its recommendation on the stock to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ and left its target price at 145p
WPP sells majority stake in post-production firm The Farm
The deal will see the FTSE 100 advertising giant sell its 75% stake to Los Angeles-based group Picture Shop
WPP due some relief as large advertisers step up marketing efforts, says Goldman Sachs
The US bank's analysts ramped up their share price target to 1,150p from 870p for the advertising group as organic growth is expected to improve in the second half of the year
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 closes higher despite continued trade worries
The UK's blue-chip benchmark added over 23 points to close at 7,184
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 regains ground at the close
The FTSE 100 closed 32.86 points higher at 7,218.16 on Thursday, just easing off its late afternoon high of 7,235
BritBox: What is it and how can it compete with Netflix and Amazon?
The streaming service, which offers a combined content library from the BBC and ITV, is currently only available to North American subscribers, having launched there in 2017
ITV sinks as first quarter ad revenues decline, blames Brexit-related uncertainty
The FTSE 100 broadcaster said that total external revenue was down 4% at £743mln in the quarter due to declines in spot advertising, which was blamed on the timing of Easter and “economic and political uncertainty”
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FTSE 100 closes higher as US president talks up trade deal
The UK index of leading shares closed up around ten points at 7,271, while the FTSE 250 added 66 points at 19,531
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ITV to take spotlight on Wednesday as updates arrive from several blue-chip firms
Tobacco firm Imperial Brands and insurer Direct Line are also scheduled to report at the mid-point of the week
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BT to take centre stage as it reports full year numbers with dividend in focus
The week ahead includes updates from BT Group, Superdry, Morrisons, ITV, IAG, Barratt Developments, Direct Line, RSA Insurance and Imperial Brands
STV first quarter numbers provide “positive read across” for ITV, says Liberum
The broker said that as STV holds the licence for the ITV1 channel in most of Scotland, the company’s TV ad revenues corresponded “exactly” with the advertising performance of ITV1, which they estimated made up around 63% of ITV’s total adv
STV predicts growth in first quarter ad revenue as national advertising performs better than expected
The Scottish broadcaster said it expected total advertising revenue growth of between 1-2% in its first quarter, helped by a boost in regional and digital ad income
FTSE 100 closes marginally down after treading water through the day as Parliament breaks for Easter after Brexit extension
Holiday cheer as airline stocks gain on hopes holidaymakers will put Brexit concerns aside for summer
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WH Smith investors are hoping for dividend boost
Less of a newsagent nowadays but could WH Smith be set to increase payouts to shareholders.
Daily Mail owner to become victim of Brexit alongside ITV, says Liberum
Liberum cut its rating on Daily Mail and General Trust to 'sell' from 'hold' and lowered its target price to 620p from 625p
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Retailers Tesco and ASOS to provide the main corporate excitement in coming week
Also on the retail front, WH Smith and Dunelm will issue updates as well in the Week Ahead, while on the macro front an ECB rate decision and US FOMC meeting minutes are also due
ITV inks deal for automated targeted advertising on online platform
The exclusive deal with ad technology firm Amobee will create a system that gives ITV's ad buyers complete control over where their commercials will appear on programmes viewed on ITV Hub, its video-on-demand platform
ITV ad revenues to fall in 2019 as Brexit uncertainty weighs, Liberum predicts
Liberum thinks advertisers are likely to hold back on spending until there is more certainty about the UK’s departure from the European Union
As M&S and ITV unveil tie-in deals, is the plug-and-play/consolidation model becoming the default catch-up method for digital?
With M&S choosing to anchor itself to online grocer Ocado and ITV and the BBC pooling their efforts in online streaming, have tie-ins and consolidation become the best strategy to ward off the surge in digital competition?
No World Cup boost and Brexit uncertainty to dent ITV’s first-half profits
Companies are reluctant to commit big money to fancy ad campaigns in the run-up to Brexit
FTSE 100 finishes lower as global markets hit by geopolitical worries
The UK's blue chip index closed down nearly 44 points at 7,107. Meanwhile, mid-cap cousin FTSE 250 fell more than 116 at 19,513
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ITV finals take spotlight for ‘hump day’ results
Shareholders in the blue-chip broadcaster may be approaching the results with some trepidation after it expected a softer fourth quarter in a November update
ITV tipped to pleasantly surprise shareholders with its upcoming results
Last year’s results should beat expectations, current trading is likely to be better than feared, while bosses could launch a share buyback, too
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 closes higher but only just as sentiment boosted by trade progress
The UK blue-chip index finished around five points ahead at 7,183
ITV downgraded to 'hold' by Societe Generale due to 'renewed Brexit uncertainty'
Societe Generale sees an opportunity for traditional broadcasters like ITV to participate in online streaming
ITV shares rally as Liberum Capital provides some counterpoints to BofA Merrill Lynch downgrade note
Liberum noted that the US bank’s downgrade of ITV to ‘underperform’ from 'buy', came in a European broadcasting review talking about the decline of linear TV hitting the sector
ITV hit by BofA Merrill Lynch downgrade in cautious European broadcasting review
The US bank's analysts said key drivers in its cautious view are a quicker linear sector decline, with TV losing advertising market share, leading broadcasters to increase their investments in online and diversification
ITV higher as Liberum Capital suggests STV deal with Sky pointer to retransmission fee agreement
Liberum's analysts said they believe such a deal between ITV and Sky would lead to a material – around 15% plus - uplift to the FTSE 100-listed broadcasters' consensus earnings
ITV takeover offer “wouldn’t be surprising” at current valuation, says analyst
The broadcaster's content library means it has a bundle of assets that could place it in high demand as competition drives consolidation in the media and telecoms markets
ITV weak as it expects softening in fourth quarter advertising, although nine-month performance in line
The broadcaster said its total advertising revenue was up 2% in the nine months, driven by 43% growth in online revenues, and its total ITV Studios revenues increased by 10%
FTSE 100 closes higher as markets are relieved after US midterm election
The UK's premier benchmark index finished over 76 points higher, or 1.09%, at 7,117
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Fed meeting and interest rate decision to hold focus on Wednesday amid midterm results
The latest interest rate decision from the Fed will be vying for attention as markets digest the results from Tuesday's midterm elections
Analysts react positively to ITV's choice in CFO due to successes at ARM and easyJet
Analysts at Liberum said ITV’s reference to Chris Kennedy as a “key player” in selling ARM to Softbank may be a flag that the broadcaster is open to a sale
ITV boss Carolyn McCall poaches former easyJet colleague as CFO
Chris Kennedy worked alongside ITV boss Carolyn McCall at easyJet where he was chief financial officer from 2010 to 2015
FTSE 100 closes marginally higher as European indices lag; US mid-terms in focus
FTSE 100 closed marginally higher but mid-cap cousin FTSE 250 plunged nearly ten points.
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Trump mid-term test and US rate decision to give week ahead a Trans-Atlantic twist
Aside from the US elections and Fed policy meeting, updates from UK blue-chip retailers J Sainsbury, Wm Morrison Supermarkets and Marks & Spencer should draw the most attention in the coming week
FTSE 100 closes at session peak after strong rebound in tandem with US stocks
At the close, the UK blue chip index was 41.12 points higher at 7,004.10, the session peak, and well above the early low of 6,995.99
Morgan Stanley cuts forecasts, target price for ITV amid worries over advertising spend
Analysts noted that media buyers are indicating that ITV’s net advertising revenue (NAR) has fallen by around 7% year-on-year as demand from supermarkets, High Street retailers and telcoms remains weak, offsetting growth in digital advertis
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Lloyds, Debenhams, WPP and ECB to dominate day-ahead's financial calendar
The day ahead includes third quarter trading updates from Lloyds and WPP along with full year results from Debenhams and the ECB's policy decision.
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Third-quarter updates from Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, and RBS all due in coming week
Aside from the banking trio, updates are also due in the week ahead from the likes of WPP, Whitbread, International Airlines Group, Ryanair, Glencore and Antofagasta
ITV set to disappoint as post-World Cup viewing figures tail off
UBS quarterly tracker indicates that audience trends have continued to weaken
FTSE 100 closes in red as Wall Street shares lag; Brexit exhaustion
The UK blue-chip benchmark finished down over 27 points at 7,026, while the FTSE 250 closed down over 52 points at 18,961.
ITV could fetch £245mln for sale of London south bank headquarters, say analysts
Liberum said ITV could use the proceeds of the disposal to reduce debt, return cash back to shareholders, support mergers and acquisitions, for investments
ITV says it will not bid for Peaky Blinders production firm Endemol Shine
Endemol Shine has been put up for sale by owners private equity firm Apollo and Twenty-First Century Fox
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 closes higher midweek, but Tesco takes a hit
Mid-cap cousin FTSE 250 also closed in positive territory - up around 35 points to stand at 20,300