TV Market Round-Up – May 2009

The Susan Boyle inspired ratings success of Britain’s Got Talent (see 18.5m watch Britain’s Got Talent results show), wasn’t enough to arrest ITV’s continued downturn in revenue. Despite the programme attaining ratings of over 11 million viewers from the initial audition stage, the commercial network broadcaster recorded a 16.7% year on year fall in revenue total.

Things weren’t any better for Channel 4, which saw its monthly revenue fall by nearly 20% on last year’s figures. During May 2009 Channel 4 took in £45.95 million, down from £56.67 million the previous year.

Five suffered the biggest revenue decline during May, with a fall of 26.2%, down to £17.93 million. ITV1 breakfast station GMTV had the smallest year on year fall in revenue total, down 7.9% to £4.19 million

Total Satellite’s revenue decreased by 8.3% year on year, standing at £87.43 million.

ITV Franchises

According to our agency estimates, Central has retained the position of biggest share of ITV1 revenue. The Midlands franchise area accounted for 15.76% of the network’s revenue, despite falling 0.15 percentage points year on year

Carlton holds onto second place with for 15.06%, with the London weekday franchise area up marginally by 0.05 percentage points on May 2008.

Westcountry provided the smallest share of ITV1’s revenue, with 2.11% of the network’s total income (up 0.03 percentage points year on year).

Cost per thousands were cheaper across the board for ITV1 among MediaTel’s featured audiences for May 2009. ABC1 Adults had the largest percentage decrease, down by 18.4% year on year (to cost £16.17).

Channel 4 also had across the board reductions for our featured audiences. This time, however, it was Housewives with Children that fell the most in price, down by 20.8% to cost £48.5.

All of Five’s CPT prices fell for our featured audiences. The biggest decrease was seen among the Men audience, now costing £9.83, 28.6% cheaper when compared with May 2008.

All but one of our featured audiences fell for ITV1 among commercial impacts. The worst performance came from the Men audience, slipping by 5% on May 2008’s total.

Channel 4 managed to improve commercial impacts for just one of MediaTel’s featured audiences (Housewives with Children) year on year (up 2.4% on May 2008). Of the audiences to decline, Men fell the most (down by 5.1% year on year).

Five’s commercial impacts bucked the overall trend among the terrestrial broadcasters, with just one audience falling against its previous year’s total (ABC1 Adults down 0.7%). The audience that increased its commercial impacts the most was Men, up by 3.2% year on year.

Total Broadcast saw year on year increases for all MediaTel’s featured audiences for commercial impacts. The biggest increase was seen within Adults audience, up 6.9% on May 2008’s total.