I’m a Celebrity provides ITV springboard

A STRONG performance from its homegrown shows – including I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and Loose Women – is helping broadcaster ITV overcome a flat advertising market.

In a trading update for the first nine months of the year, chief executive Adam Crozier said the number of commissions and recommissions already secured for next year suggested there will be further growth at its ITV Studios arm in 2013.

Titanic has proved a particular hit overseas, while its other notable successes include crime drama Vera. The division saw revenues jump 20 per cent to £498 million in the first nine months of 2012 with profits of £100m predicted this year.

Revenues from television advertising were down 9 per cent in August due to the distraction of the Olympics – broadcast on the BBC – but over the full year are expected to be broadly flat compared to last year.

Crozier said it had been an “extraordinary year” for UK television with many unique events including the Queen’s Jubilee, the London Olympics and Paralympics.

“In fact nine out of ten programmes aired will not return next year and as we expected this has affected our viewing performance,” he said.

The group’s share of viewing figures for the year to date was down 3 per cent due to the Olympics, with flagship channel ITV1 off by 6 per cent.

Crozier said he was hopeful of improving ITV’s share of viewing next year although he predicted monthly volatility in the UK television advertising market.Total external revenues rose 4 per cent to £1.57 billion.

In August ITV bought the independent production company co-founded by Graham Norton and behind the Bafta award-winning Graham Norton Show, So Television, as part of its plans to ramp up its own-made content.