Advertising helps ITV profits increase 25%

ITV’s half-year profits surged by 25% despite its lowest audience numbers for 15 years.

The home to Downton Abbey and the X Factor suffered a UK television audience fall of 4% to 21.1%.

Some prime-time documentaries failed to live up to hopes, but better -than-expected underlying pre-tax profits rose 25% to £391 million.

More television advertising spending raised net ad revenues up 5% to £838m.

Overall sales rose 11% to £1.36 billion.

Revenues at production arm ITV Studios, bolstered by acquisitions such as Talpa Media, maker of BBC1’s The Voice, rose 23% to £496m.