STV Group
STV Group plc is Scotland's Channel 3 commercial broadcaster operating the STV linear channel, STV Player streaming service, and STV Radio, alongside a Studios division of 20+ production labels serving BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Netflix, and Apple TV.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1954
- HeadquartersGlasgow, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What STV Group does
STV Group plc is a Scottish digital media company and the holder of the Channel 3 commercial broadcasting licences for north and central Scotland, renewed by Ofcom in March 2025 for a further ten years. Headquartered in Glasgow and listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: STVG), the company operates two divisions. The Audience division combines the STV linear television channel, the STV Player free ad-supported streaming service (pre-installed in approximately three quarters of UK connected TV homes), and the newly launched STV Radio (January 2026, targeting 35-54 year-olds across DAB, smart speakers and online). The Studios division encompasses over 20 production labels producing scripted and unscripted content for UK broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4) and international streamers (Netflix, Apple TV, Disney's Hulu, RTÉ), with Blackhill (rebranded from STV Studios Drama in June 2026) and Two Cities Television among the most prominent labels.
The company's revenue model rests primarily on advertising sold across linear TV (national and regional), video-on-demand on STV Player (including addressable advertising via Planet V and the proprietary STV ADapt platform, plus pause ads), and audio on STV Radio. A secondary revenue stream comes from programme production commissions and international format and catalogue sales by STV Studios, with a £33m forward orderbook at December 2025. Subscription revenue from STV Player+ (ad-free tier) is a smaller direct-to-consumer contribution. Strategic distribution partnerships with ITV (content sharing and advertising sales) and Premier Sports (live sports content on STV Player) extend reach and monetisation. A regulated £46.6m market capitalisation (April 2026) reflects its position as a small-cap public broadcaster navigating a challenging UK advertising market — FY 2025 revenue declined 6% to £176.9m and adjusted operating profit fell 44% to £11.6m, prompting £8m annual cost-savings measures and portfolio rationalisation across the Studios division.
STV Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- STV Group
- Legal name
- STV Group plc
- Website
- https://stvplc.tv
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1954
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- STV Group plc is Scotland's Channel 3 commercial broadcaster operating the STV linear channel, STV Player streaming service, and STV Radio, alongside a Studios division of 20+ production labels serving BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Netflix, and Apple TV.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
STV Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Broadcasting and Content Production
- NAICS
- Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Video Streaming Platforms (SVOD/AVOD/TVOD) (BPAMAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- General Entertainment SVOD Platforms (MPACAAAA)
Keywords
Where STV Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glasgow
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
STV Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising revenue (Linear TV, VOD, Audio): STV generates the majority of revenue through advertising sold across its linear TV channel (STV), addressable VOD advertising on STV Player (via Planet V), and newly launched STV Radio. Advertising includes national linear, regional linear, VOD, pause ads, and addressable advertising through STV ADapt.
- Programme production and distribution (STV Studios): STV Studios produces original content across scripted drama, factual, unscripted, and entertainment for UK broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4) and international streamers (Netflix, Apple TV, Disney's Hulu). Secondary sales of library content to international buyers at higher margins. Orderbook of £33m at December 2025.
- Commercial partnerships: STV works with multiple TV platforms under long-term partnerships, providing a 'one stop shop' for advertising services extending beyond ad sales to creative design and post-campaign analysis. Premier Sports partnership on STV Player drives subscriber acquisition.
- Direct to consumer (STV Player+): STV Player+ is a paid subscription service allowing viewers to stream content without adverts, providing direct monetisation of audiences.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
STV Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STV Group is Scotland's leading commercial broadcaster and content producer, operating the STV linear Channel 3 television licence, the free ad-supported streaming service STV Player (with paid STV Player+ tier), and the newly launched STV Radio on DAB and smart speakers. Through its STV Studios division, the company produces scripted and unscripted programmes for UK broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky) and international streamers (Netflix, Apple TV, Disney's Hulu, RTÉ). STV generates the majority of revenue from advertising sold across its video and audio platforms, with secondary revenue from content commissions and international format/library sales.
Product overview
STV Group operates as a vertically integrated media company with two core divisions: Audience (combining broadcast, streaming, and audio) and Studios (content production). The Audience division centres on STV, Scotland's leading commercial TV channel, and STV Player, a free streaming service offering catch-up TV, live streaming, and exclusive content reaching 75% of Scots monthly. STV Radio, launched in January 2026, extends the audience business into audio. The Studios division, anchored by Blackhill (rebranded from STV Studios Drama in June 2026) and spanning over 20 production labels, produces scripted and unscripted content for UK broadcasters and international streamers including Netflix, BBC, Channel 4, and Apple TV. Supporting initiatives include STV Commercial (advertising solutions including STV ADapt for addressable advertising), STV Children's Appeal (charitable initiative), and STV Zero (sustainability strategy).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Two Cities Television: Belfast-based production label producing police drama Blue Lights and period drama Amadeus
- Tod Productions
- Tuesday's Child
- Rumpus Media
- Crackit TV
- Hello Halo
- STV Studios Factual
- Ferryman Films
- STV ADapt
- STV Player+
Products and services
- STV (Linear Broadcast Channel) STV is Scotland's leading commercial TV channel reaching more than two-thirds of Scottish adults monthly through its linear broadcast, offering a mix of news, drama, entertainment and sports programming. Channel 3 licence renewed in March 2025 for ten years from January 2025.
- STV Player
Quantifiable outcome
- Scotland's World Cup drama peaked with 1.2m viewers (highest peak audience since June 2024), with 75% viewing share in Scotland vs rest of UK
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use STV Group
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
STV Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature3 records
STV Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Narrative Entertainment (Great!)coreStrategic content partnership bringing Great! FAST channels and VOD content to STV Player for the first time. The Great! portfolio includes movies, drama, crime, mystery and romance programming. This is the first time a public service media organisation has partnered with Narrative Entertainment, and STV Player's first foray into FAST distribution.
- Kevin McKidd's Ferryman FilmscoreExclusive partnership with Kevin McKidd's (Trainspotting, Grey's Anatomy) Ferryman Films to strengthen STV Studios' scripted production pipeline. Ferryman Films is a new production label within the STV Studios portfolio.
- Fan ClubminorSTV invested in branded content start-up Fan Club (minority stake) led by ex-C4 Digital Commissioner Joe Churchill, bringing a distinct new offering to the STV Studios family of labels.
- Tunnock'sminorTunnock's secured as the first commercial advertising partner for STV Radio ahead of its launch on 6 January 2026.
- Disney's HulucoreFirst unscripted commission for an international streamer — The Mob (produced by Primal Media) for Disney's Hulu. Represents STV Studios' first unscripted commission from a global streaming platform.
- Premier SportscoreUnique deal combining STV Player's ad-free programming with live sports from Premier Sports including football, rugby, and motorsports. Partnership aims to drive new subscriber acquisition to STV Player, with subscribers spending 47% of time on Premier Sports content.
- ITVcoreStrategic partnership (2+ years) with ITV for content sharing and advertising sales. ITV's sales team sells STV's national VOD and simulcast advertising, giving STV benefit from ITV's scale and market leadership. STV Player has exclusive Scottish rights to ITVX original content.
- Rockerdale StudioscoreRockerdale Studios produces The Assembly (award-winning interview format with autistic, neurodivergent and learning disabled interviewers) in partnership with STV and ITV. The format has been adapted in 20 territories with over 250 celebrities interviewed.
- RTÉminorSTV Studios delivered a returnable drama for RTÉ as part of international expansion of its scripted production business.
- CAN'T STOP MediaminorFormat distributor for The Assembly (adaptation of French series Les Rencontres du Papotin). The format now airs in 20 territories including Canada, Australia and Brazil.
- SSE Energy SolutionsminorSSE Energy Solutions was the sponsor of STV's Sustainable Scotland Week, supporting the broadcaster's sustainability content initiative.
- Project albertminorSTV is a member of Project albert and co-signatory to the Climate Content Pledge. STV partnered with Project albert to ensure all programming and commercials produced by STV and STV Studios achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
- Planet V (ITV's VOD advertising platform)coreSTV Player uses ITV's Planet V platform for addressable VOD advertising, enabling hyper-targeted and programmatic advertising capabilities.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
STV Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ITV plc: UK's largest commercial broadcaster and STV's Channel 3 partner. Operates ITVX streaming, sells STV's national VOD and simulcast advertising, and shares ITVX original content with STV Player. Most directly comparable on broadcast, streaming and ad sales.
- Channel 4: UK public service commercial broadcaster with free streaming (All 4) and a commissioned content pipeline overlapping STV Studios (e.g., Screw, Crime Scene Cleaners). Comparable on free ad-supported streaming, content commissioning and advertiser reach.
- Bauer Media: Owner of major UK commercial radio brands and former employer of STV Radio MD Graham Bryce (COO). Closest direct competitor in the UK commercial radio market and a comparable audio advertising sales platform for advertisers seeking Scottish reach.
- Global Media & Entertainment: UK's largest commercial radio operator (Capital, Heart, LBC, Classic FM). Direct competitor in commercial radio advertising and a comparable audio platform targeting national audiences that overlaps STV Radio's advertiser base.
- Banijay: Largest independent global content producer, operating scripted and unscripted labels for major streamers and broadcasters. Comparable to STV Studios' portfolio of 20+ production labels and competing for the same international streaming commissions.
- All3Media: Major UK and international production group with multiple labels producing scripted and unscripted content for broadcasters and streamers. Closely comparable to STV Studios' multi-label structure and international commissioning model.
- ITV Studios: Production arm of ITV plc producing scripted and unscripted content globally. Direct competitor for UK and international commissions and operates a similar portfolio of production labels as STV Studios.
- Fremantle: Global production and distribution group producing drama, entertainment and factual content for international streamers and broadcasters. Comparable to STV Studios in international IP, format sales and catalogue licensing economics.
Broad incumbents
- BBC: UK public service broadcaster operating BBC One, BBC Scotland and iPlayer, and a major STV Studios commissioner (Blue Lights, Antiques Road Trip). Comparable as a UK-wide broadcaster, streamer and major commissioner of original content.
- Sky (Comcast): UK pay-TV broadcaster and streamer (NOW) that distributes Two Cities Television's Amadeus. Comparable as a vertically integrated broadcaster and streamer with a major sports and drama offering competing for UK ad and subscription budgets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
STV Group social profiles
Digital presenceSTV Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
STV Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
STV Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries12 records
STV Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
STV Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A4 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about STV Group
What does STV Group do?
STV Group is Scotland's leading commercial broadcaster and content producer, operating the STV linear Channel 3 television licence, the free ad-supported streaming service STV Player (with paid STV Player+ tier), and the newly launched STV Radio on DAB and smart speakers. Through its STV Studios division, the company produces scripted and unscripted programmes for UK broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky) and international streamers (Netflix, Apple TV, Disney's Hulu, RTÉ). STV generates the majority of revenue from advertising sold across its video and audio platforms, with secondary revenue from content commissions and international format/library sales.
Is STV Group a public or private company?
STV Group is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was STV Group founded?
STV Group was founded in 1954. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is STV Group based?
STV Group is headquartered in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does STV Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Advertising revenue (Linear TV, VOD, Audio) is the primary driver. The others are programme production and distribution (STV Studios), commercial partnerships and direct to consumer (STV Player+).
Who are STV Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ITV plc, Channel 4, Bauer Media, Global Media & Entertainment, Banijay, All3Media, ITV Studios and Fremantle. Broad incumbents are BBC and Sky (Comcast).
Does STV Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for STV Group.
What industry is STV Group in?
STV Group's product category is Commercial Broadcasting and Content Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAA, Video Streaming Platforms (SVOD/AVOD/TVOD), with a secondary code of MPACAAAA, General Entertainment SVOD Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51612 and its SIC code is 4833.