Failure To Get Through Fills ITV’s Coffers

The majority of the money made from quiz show channel ITV Play comes from viewers failing to get through on premium rate phone lines.

According to a report in today’s Daily Telegraph, ITV is budgeting for £20 million profits from the channel this year.

The report says that William Van Rest, controller of ITV Play, said that most of the channel’s profits come from viewers paying 75p per phone call but then failing to get through to answer a prize question.

Households are limited to 150 calls each day in order to discourage what Van Rest calls “binge activity”.

ITV Play was launched earlier in the year (see ITV Play To Broaden Broadcaster’s Revenue Streams), with a promise to provide viewers with ‘participatory TV’ and is part of the broadcaster’s strategy to extend its revenue streams beyond traditional spot advertising.

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com