ITV hopes for World Cup win as the channel banks on an increase in viewers and advertisers
ITV IS banking on the World Cup pulling in viewers and advertisers this summer after audiences dropped at the start of the year.
The broadcaster said its advertising revenue was forecast to rise by as much as 13 per cent in the next three months, helped by the football in Brazil, with coverage led by Adrian Chiles.
Home to Downton Abbey and Coronation Street, ITV said its share of viewing across all its channels fell by 8 per cent in the year to date, down from 23.4 per cent to 21.6 per cent.
We continue to make progress with our strategy of growing and rebalancing the business in the UK and internationally
Although Britain’s Got Talent has been a Saturday night hit, the relaunched Good Morning Britain has failed to boost ratings so far.
Revenues in the first three months of the year rose by 2 per cent to £585million as a 2 per cent rise in TV advertising and a 14 per cent rise in online and pay-TV income offset a 4 per cent drop in income from its programme-making arm ITV Studios. The shares fell 12p to 179p.
The company blamed the timing of programme releases for the revenue fall at studios and insisted it would deliver good growth over the full year.
Chief executive Adam Crozier said: “We continue to make progress with our strategy of growing and rebalancing the business in the UK and internationally.”