ITV "saw ad revenues surge 8% in the third quarter as viewers and advertisers flocked to the Rugby World Cup putting the broadcaster on track for another year of record profits," according to Mark Sweney of the London GUARDIAN.
ITV said that "for the first nine months of the year, total revenues, including for its online and production arm, were up 13% year on year" to £2.3B ($3.5B). ITV CEO Adam Crozier: "We’re on track for another year of double digit profit growth as we continue to strengthen ITV in the U.K. and internationally." ITV said that the 8% TV ad revenue growth in the third quarter, compared to a full-year expectation of 5% which is ahead of the overall market, "was driven by the Rugby World Cup as well as the broadcaster’s daytime schedule" (GUARDIAN, 11/10). In London, Henry Mance reported viewing numbers "improved slightly in the third quarter," although Citi analyst Thomas Singlehurst said that they could “again deteriorate” following the end of the Rugby World Cup.
Overall ITV’s share of commercial impacts -- a "keenly watched metric" that indicates the proportion of TV ads shown in the U.K. -- "fell 4 per cent between January and October." That marked "no improvement on the first half of the year" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 11/10).
