ITV

What ITV does

ITV plc is a UK-listed integrated producer, broadcaster, and streamer operating two main divisions. ITV Studios is the world's second-largest television production group, operating across 13 countries through 60+ labels and generating £2,130 million in FY2025 revenue (5% growth, 10% external growth), distributing formats such as Love Island and The 1% Club to Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. Media & Entertainment operates the UK's largest commercial free-to-air linear portfolio (ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, CITV) and the ITVX free, advertiser-funded streaming service, which has recorded 10+ billion cumulative streams since launching in December 2022 and 110 million streams in a single week in June 2026.

The core technology stack centres on ITVX as a multi-device AVOD platform, the proprietary Planet V programmatic advertising platform, and new data-driven ad products including Live Addressable+ (precision-targeted live broadcast advertising launched with Omnicom in May 2026) and Lead Gen Pause Ads (an interactive pause-and-engage format launched at the ITV Showcase in June 2026). ITVX is supported by Freely, a joint-venture IP-delivery platform co-developed with other UK broadcasters to transition free-to-air TV to broadband. AI applications span live production automation, archive search, digital twins for studio workflows, and governed multi-model access systems, with four EBU Technology and Innovation Awards 2026 nominations signalling institutional R&D commitment.

ITV's revenue model combines advertising (digital up 14%, premium World Cup 30-second slots priced up to £300,000, 220 advertisers in 2026), Studios licensing and production services (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon), broadcasting rights (FIFA World Cup, Six Nations), media-for-equity investments (£3 million in The Body Coach app), and ancillary revenues. FY2025 total revenue was £4,121 million (flat year-on-year), with two-thirds from Studios and digital operations. ITV is in active negotiations for Sky (Comcast) to acquire its Media & Entertainment division for ~£1.6 billion, which would transform ITV into a Studios-led production business while giving Sky control of UK linear and ITVX distribution.

Name

ITV

Legal name

ITV plc

Website

https://itvplc.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

ITV plc is a UK-listed producer-broadcaster-streamer operating ITV Studios, the world's second-largest TV production group across 13 countries, alongside the UK's largest commercial free-to-air broadcaster and ITVX free streaming service, serving advertisers, global streaming platforms, and UK consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Broadcasting and Television Content Production

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

International TV Broadcasters (Free-to-Air/Satellite/Cable) (MPABAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cable Network Groups & Portfolio Operators (Multi-Channel Brands) (MPABAFAO), Music/Audio-Visual Streaming Channels (Concerts, Music Video Channels) (MPABAHAL), Lifestyle & Reality Cable Networks (Food, Home, Travel) (MPABAFAG)

Keywords

• Free-to-air broadcasting
• Television content production
• Advertiser-funded streaming
• Format licensing distribution
• Programmatic advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Advertising revenue: ITV generates advertising revenue through its linear TV channels and ITVX streaming platform, including digital advertising (up 14% growth), and premium ad packages during major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup
2. ITV Studios content production and distribution: ITV Studios produces and distributes content globally to streaming platforms including Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. Studios grew revenue 5% to £2.13 billion, with 10% external revenue growth
3. Broadcasting rights: ITV holds broadcasting rights for major sporting events including FIFA World Cup (51 of 104 matches), Six Nations rugby, Premier League Rugby, and Nations Championship
4. Media-for-equity investments: ITV invests advertising space in exchange for equity stakes, such as the £3 million investment in The Body Coach (Joe Wicks fitness app)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ITV is an integrated producer, streamer, and broadcaster operating the UK's largest commercial family of channels. It operates two main divisions: ITV Studios, which creates and distributes TV content across 13 countries through 60+ production labels, and Media & Entertainment (M&E), which runs free-to-air linear channels (ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, CITV) alongside ITVX, its free advertiser-funded streaming service. The company monetizes primarily through advertising, content licensing to global streamers, and broadcast rights for premium sporting events.

Product overview

ITV is a producer, streamer, and broadcaster consisting of two main divisions: ITV Studios (global content production operating in 13 countries across 60+ labels) and Media & Entertainment (the largest commercial streamer and broadcaster in the UK). ITV Studios creates, owns, and distributes high-quality TV content including drama, entertainment, documentary, and factual programming, generating £2,130 million in 2025. Media & Entertainment operates the ITVX free streaming platform alongside free-to-air linear channels (ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, CITV), offering content spanning news, drama, entertainment, and sport. The company leverages its proprietary Planet V programmatic advertising platform for targeted ad delivery, with Freely providing IP-based TV services as part of the UK's transition to internet-delivered television.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ITVX: Free, advertiser-funded streaming service offering on-demand and live TV content in the UK
• Love Island
• ITV Studios
• NatureTime
• The 1% Club

Products and services

• ITVX Free, advertiser-funded streaming service combining on-demand and live TV content, including exclusive programming, news, drama, entertainment, and sport. Available across web, mobile, smart TVs, and streaming devices for UK viewers.
• ITV Studios Global content production arm operating in 13 countries across 60+ production labels, producing and distributing drama, entertainment, documentary, and factual programming. Generates £2,130 million in 2025 revenue, with formats like Love Island and The 1% Club licensed to global streaming platforms.
• ITV Linear Channels Portfolio of free-to-air TV channels (ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, CITV) offering news, drama, entertainment, and sport programming to UK audiences via aerial, satellite, and cable.
• Planet V ITV's proprietary programmatic advertising platform enabling brands to book targeted advertising campaigns across ITV's broadcast and streaming inventory, including Live Addressable+ campaigns.
• Freely IP-based TV service delivered over broadband with broadcast-level reliability, developed by ITV and other UK broadcasters as part of the Future TV Taskforce's transition to internet-delivered television.
• Lead Gen Pause Ads Interactive advertising format enabling viewers to pause live TV and engage with brands to receive follow-up communications or special offers, providing advertisers with direct lead generation capabilities.
• Live Addressable+ Live broadcast addressable advertising product enabling precision targeting of viewers based on life stage, income bracket, location, and shopping preferences across both live broadcast and on-demand channels.
• The 1% Club Quiz show format created by Magnum Media and commissioned by ITV, now the top-selling new UK format of the past decade with 15 international versions sold across global markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• ITVX streaming hours increased 16% with record performance
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Blue AntMediaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026ITV signed content agreement with Blue AntMedia to launch the NatureTime natural world programming brand on ITVX streaming platform. Content includes documentaries and series available in summer 2026 as part of a co-branded block and FAST channel, with plans for ITV NatureTime YouTube channel.
• Alliance for Responsible Innovation in the Arts & Media (ARIAM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026ITV joined ARIAM coalition launched by former Netflix exec Victoria Furniss to advocate for responsible AI usage in media. Founding members include Disney, New York Times, Adobe, Condé Nast, Financial Times, BBC, and other major publishers.
• Omnicom Media GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2026ITV launched Live Addressable+ with Omnicom in exclusive beta trial covering over 20 brands across automotive, retail, and telecoms sectors. The product enables precision targeting across live broadcast and on-demand, bookable through ITV's programmatic platform Planet V.
• Disney (Hulu Originals)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026ITV and Disney extended their content-sharing partnership to bring Hulu Original series 'The Stolen Girl' and 'The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox' to ITV1's primetime linear slots, airing under the 'Disney+ presents a Hulu Original' brand. This expands beyond their existing streaming partnership launched in July 2025.
• Comcast Universal AdscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2025Comcast launched Universal Ads self-service advertising platform in UK in partnership with ITV, Channel 4, and Sky. Enables small and medium businesses to run campaigns across all three major UK broadcasters for the first time, with campaigns going live in minutes.
• CIISA (Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority)minorOthersITV is among broadcasters and streamers including BBC, Sky, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Channel 4 that have pledged or contributed financial support to CIISA's whistleblowing hotline launching September for film, TV, music, and theatre.
• BanijaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerITV's YouTube sales team partnered with Banijay to expand content offering to include Super-indie's titles such as 'Would I Lie To You?', 'Peaky Blinders', and 'MasterChef' for YouTube distribution.
• Sky (Comcast-owned)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSky (Comcast-owned) is in active discussions to acquire ITV's Media & Entertainment division for approximately £1.6 billion. As part of the deal, ITV Studios would acquire Sky's Love Productions (producer of The Great British Bake Off). Deal requires Competition and Markets Authority approval.
• ITN (Independent Television News)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerITV operates ITN joint venture for news programming, producing news content across ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Channel 4: UK public-service commercial broadcaster operating free-to-air linear channels and a streaming platform. Closest UK peer to ITV's Media & Entertainment division, competing for the same UK audiences and advertisers and jointly participating in the Comcast Universal Ads partnership.
• Sky (Comcast): UK pay-TV broadcaster and streamer owned by Comcast, currently in talks to acquire ITV's Media & Entertainment division for ~£1.6B. Direct competitor in UK sports rights, premium entertainment, and now potential acquirer of ITV's broadcast business.
• Fremantle (RTL Group / Bertelsmann): Global production and distribution business owned by RTL Group, operating across drama, entertainment and factual. Most direct peer to ITV Studios given comparable global production footprint, format library, and supplying to Netflix/Amazon/Disney+.
• Banijay: World's largest independent content producer operating 100+ production labels across multiple countries. Direct competitor to ITV Studios in global format production and a GTM partner for ITV's YouTube sales, making the relationship both cooperative and competitive.
• Endemol Shine Group (Banijay-owned): Major global production group (now under Banijay) producing formats like MasterChef, Big Brother and Peaky Blinders. Direct competitor to ITV Studios in format creation and international distribution.
• Channel 5 (Paramount): UK commercial free-to-air broadcaster owned by Paramount Global. Competes with ITV for UK mass-market audiences, advertising budgets, and shared news provision through the ITN joint venture.

Broad incumbents

• BBC: UK public-service broadcaster operating BBC One, BBC iPlayer and producing in-house content at massive scale. Competes with ITV for UK linear audiences, sports rights, and news viewership, and is also a partner in ITV's Freely joint venture for IP-delivered TV.
• Netflix: Global streaming incumbent and major buyer/licensor of ITV Studios content. Both a customer of ITV Studios (licensing formats) and a competitive threat to ITVX, and recently became the first streamer to win Broadcast Awards' Broadcaster of the Year.
• Warner Bros. Discovery: Global media company operating linear channels, HBO Max streaming, and production studios. Broad incumbent across broadcasting and content production with overlapping sports rights, drama, and unscripted formats competing with ITV.
• Disney+: Global streaming platform and content buyer, expanding its UK partnership with ITV to bring Hulu Originals to ITV1 primetime. Acts simultaneously as a customer of ITV Studios content and a streaming competitor to ITVX.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ITV
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@itv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/itv
• Instagraminstagram.com/itv

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A20 records

Investments14 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ITV