ITV advised to give up on FTA broadcasting

scart

ITV gains as broker advises it should give up on free-to-air broadcasting

LONDON REPORT: FTSE 100: 4,202.13 (+74.96) Mid-250: 7,278.80 (+94.37) Small Cap: 2,182.23 (-1.33) BRITISH BROADCASTER ITV was among the winners yesterday after its house broker said the group should give up on free-to-air broadcasting.

“We see strategic upside from a subscription model,” UBS said.

“Subscription revenues would improve the quality of ITV’s revenue mix and would transform it into a story of structural growth, geared to the growth of pay TV, rather than one of structural decline.”

ITV would benefit from UK communications regulator Ofcom’s proposal that BSkyB would have to offer its sports and film channels to its competitors, UBS said.

With premium channels shared around, “second-tier” content from ITV would become more valuable as a means of differentiation.

“We believe that there may only be a limited window of opportunity for ITV, given further audience losses will reduce its strategic value,” analyst Daniel Kerven said.

He upgraded ITV to “buy” with a 37p price target, helping the shares rally 7 per cent to 34¼p.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/markets/2009/0714/1224250638778.html

snaps

Ha ha ha....who on earth will pay to watch ITV? If they think viewing figures are dropping wait till they go pay tv way!

mike65

ITV goes sub ITV dies.

What would that mean for ROI viewers,they might appear on the EPG like the BBC,as part of a subscription pack!

Onikage

This is probably better off in the investments forum, I've yet to see anyone here give a damn about what happens to ITV. They're not even on the Irish sky EPG!

Mossy Monk

I couldn't care if they encrypt. Their most watched shows can be seen on TV3 anyway for anyone who cares about them.

zorro2566 wrote: »

What would that mean for ROI viewers,they might appear on the EPG like the BBC,as part of a subscription pack!

Unlikely.

Widescreen

I would be very disappointed if ITV got encrypted. It would be a big backward step. Remember the fanfares when they went FTA. If no one was bothered no one would start a thread about it!!

Onikage

Widescreen wrote: »

Remember the fanfares when they went FTA.

No. I remember ITV Digital, their pay DTT offering, failing badly though.

Widescreen wrote: »

If no one was bothered no one would start a thread about it!!

You must be new here, welcome to boards!

Widescreen

Onikage wrote: »

No. I remember ITV Digital, their pay DTT offering, failing badly though. Don't think that affected us though in Ireland did it??



You must be new here, welcome to boards!

A bit newer than you alright!

Mossy Monk

Onikage wrote: »

You must be new here, welcome to boards!

Oh dear lol