{"id":515655,"date":"2026-03-05T09:09:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T09:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/515655\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T09:09:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T09:09:07","slug":"itv-reports-4-6-billion-revenue-for-2025-as-sky-sale-talks-continue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/515655\/","title":{"rendered":"ITV Reports $4.6 Billion Revenue for 2025 as Sky Sale Talks Continue"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tU.K. media giant ITV<\/a> has posted full-year 2025 results the company said beat market expectations, with strong performances from its studios arm and streaming platform ITVX offsetting a decline in linear advertising revenues \u2013 even as talks continue with Sky over a possible sale of its Media & Entertainment business.<\/p>\n

\n\tGroup external revenue rose 1% to \u00a33.511 billion ($4.68 billion) for the twelve months ended Dec. 31, 2025, while total group revenue was broadly flat at \u00a34.121 billion ($5.49 billion). Group adjusted EBITA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, and Amortization) came in at \u00a3534 million ($711.1 million), down 1% year-on-year, with cost management largely absorbing the impact of softer advertising demand.<\/p>\n

\n\tChief executive Carolyn McCall said the results demonstrate the scale of ITV\u2019s transformation. \u201cITV delivered a good performance in 2025, ahead of current market expectations and against a challenging market backdrop,\u201d she said. \u201cWith a strong digital platform, we have successfully capitalised on growth opportunities, delivered resilient profits and generated good levels of cash.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMcCall added that two-thirds of ITV\u2019s revenues now come from ITV Studios and its digital Media & Entertainment business \u2013 a milestone the company had set as a key strategic goal.<\/p>\n

\n\tITV Studios was the standout performer, posting 10% growth in external revenue to \u00a32.13 billion ($2.84 billion), driven by robust demand from global streaming platforms. The division produces long-running tentpole formats including \u201cLove Island,\u201d \u201cThe Voice\u201d and \u201cThe Graham Norton Show,\u201d as well as prestige drama \u2013 among them \u201cLine of Duty,\u201d \u201cRivals\u201d for Disney+ and Harlan Coben adaptations \u201cRun Away\u201d and \u201cFool Me Once\u201d for Netflix. The division also generated double-digit revenue growth in Zoo 55, its content library monetization unit, through digital distribution.<\/p>\n

\n\tAdjusted EBITA for ITV Studios was \u00a3297 million ($395.5 million), down marginally from \u00a3299 million ($398.2 million) in 2024, with an adjusted EBITA margin of 13.9% compared to 14.7% the prior year \u2013 a shift the company had previously flagged as reflecting changes in revenue mix. ITV Studios produced 325 high-end scripted hours in 2025, up from 296 in 2024, and had 20 formats sold in three or more countries. Some 28% of ITV Studios\u2019 total revenue came from streaming platforms, up from 25%.<\/p>\n

\n\tITV\u2019s Media & Entertainment division posted total revenue of \u00a31.991 billion ($2.65 billion), down 5%, as a decline in total advertising revenue \u2013 which fell 5% for the full year and 6% in the fourth quarter, against a strong 2024 boosted by the Men\u2019s Euros soccer \u2013 weighed on results. The total advertising revenue decline came in better than the company\u2019s previous guidance of down 6%.<\/p>\n

\n\tITVX, however, continued to gain momentum. Total streaming hours reached 2,304 million, up 16%, while monthly active users grew 12% to 16.5 million. Digital advertising revenue rose 12% to \u00a3540 million ($719.1 million), and total digital revenue grew 10% to \u00a3614 million ($817.7 million). M&E adjusted EBITA was \u00a3234 million ($311.6 million), down 6%. The company noted that ITVX has now recouped its entire investment \u2013 four years ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n

\n\tITV confirmed it remains in discussions with Sky regarding a possible sale of its M&E business, following an initial announcement in November 2025. \u201cThere can be no certainty as to whether a transaction will take place and an update will be made in due course,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe results land amid swirling consolidation interest in ITV Studios. The newly announced merger of Banijay and All3Media \u2013 which will create an $8 billion production group \u2013 has already prompted speculation about a further move on the studios arm. Banijay Group CEO Fran\u00e7ois Riahi, speaking on a call about the tie-up, said the combined entity was \u201cexcluding nothing\u201d when asked about ITV Studios, adding that \u201cconsolidation is the name of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tITV delivered \u00a363 million ($83.9 million) in permanent non-content cost savings in 2025, along with \u00a315 million ($20 million) in temporary savings in M&E in response to softer advertising demand in the fourth quarter. Since the start of 2019, the company has now delivered a cumulative \u00a3253 million ($336.9 million) in permanent cost savings.<\/p>\n

\n\tStatutory profit before tax fell 35% to \u00a3338 million ($450.1 million), and statutory EPS declined 43% to 5.9p, with the prior year having included \u00a3194 million ($258.3 million) from the profit on sale of BritBox International. Adjusted EPS was down 11% to 8.5p. Net debt at year-end stood at \u00a3566 million ($753.7 million), representing a leverage ratio of 1.0 times adjusted EBITDA. The board has proposed a full-year ordinary dividend of 5.0p per share, bringing the total dividend payout for the year to approximately \u00a3190 million ($253 million), in line with ITV\u2019s dividend policy.<\/p>\n

\n\tITV Studios is on track for another year of good total revenue growth in 2026, with full-year adjusted EBITA margin expected at the lower end of the 13% to 15% range. Revenue and profit are expected to be weighted toward the second half, due to the phasing of scripted deliveries and high-margin licensing deals.<\/p>\n

\n\tOn advertising, Q1 2026 total advertising revenue is forecast to be down approximately 2%, better than previously anticipated, with advertisers holding back budgets to spend in Q2 and Q3 around the expanded Men\u2019s Football (soccer) World Cup. ITV holds the rights to 19 more World Cup matches than it broadcast in 2022, with more matches at peak times, and is also the only commercial broadcaster in the UK with rights to every England Men\u2019s rugby match.<\/p>\n

\n\tTotal content spend in 2026 is expected to be approximately \u00a31.225 billion ($1.63 billion), and ITV plans to deliver a further \u00a320 million ($26.6 million) in permanent non-content cost savings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"U.K. media giant ITV has posted full-year 2025 results the company said beat market expectations, with strong performances…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":515656,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[49,48,75,2835,348],"class_list":["post-515655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-entertainment","tag-itv","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=515655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515655\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/515656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=515655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=515655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=515655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}