ITV.com Ads Music Arm To Site

ITV has launched a music section on its newly revamped itv.com website, in a bid to attract more viewers to music-related shows such as The X-Factor.

ITV.com/music combines exclusive footage from programmes with the site’s seven-day catch-up service, and a downloads service that promotes tracks related to ITV content.

The music store has been established in partnership with 7 Digital, a specialist downloads site based in London. Tracks cost 79p each, with ITV taking a share of the revenues from each sale.

ITV.com users can also search and buy from the rest of 7 Digital’s catalogue of more than three million music tracks.

There is also a music diary promoting ITV shows, music-related news and a ‘Break Beats’ section that lists the songs used on TV ads, which can also be bought from the downloads store.

The site launched in June this year after a £20 million investment, offering a seven-day TV catch-up service and simulcasts of ITV channels (see ITV’s Online Portal Is Go).

The broadcaster’s media player is set to challenge BBC’s iPlayer, which received approval from the corporation’s Trust earlier this year (see BBC Trust Gives iPlayer Final Approval).

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com