ITV is making significant moves in its digital strategy by putting full episodes of its popular shows on YouTube. This partnership aims to increase advertising sales and reach a wider audience. Let's explore the details.

ITV's YouTube Partnership - Expanding Viewing Opportunities

ITV's Popular Shows on YouTube

1: ITV shows like "I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!" and "The Masked Singer" will now be available on YouTube. This is part of the broadcaster's digital strategy to offer viewers more ways to enjoy their favorite programs. Hundreds of hours of ITV programmes will be uploaded, including various sports, entertainment, documentary, reality, daytime and news shows such as "An Audience With Kylie", "Olivia Marries Her Match", "Ferne McCann: My Family & Me" and soaps. 2: Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff's new game show "Bullseye and You Bet!" has also joined the partnership, hosted by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern. This shows ITV's commitment to providing a diverse range of content on YouTube.

ITV's Media and Entertainment Approach

1: Kevin Lygo, managing director of ITV media and entertainment, emphasizes the importance of this partnership. He states that it is part of their continuing strategic approach to maximize reach and viewing opportunities for audiences. Alongside the successful ITVX and market leading commercial TV channels, YouTube provides an additional platform for viewers. 2: ITV Studios' new digital content label, Zoo 55, will manage ITV and ITV Studios' YouTube presence. They will sell advertising from existing YouTube channels like "The Graham Norton Show", "Hell’s Kitchen", "The Voice Global" and the natural history focused channel, "Our World". This allows for a wider range of advertising opportunities and maximizes the value of ITV Studios IP.

ITV's YouTube Sales Team

1: ITV has a new YouTube sales team led by Abul Noor, who previously worked at Channel 4. This team will be responsible for selling inventory around all ITV's YouTube content. They will work alongside ITV Studios and Zoo 55 to create opportunities for clients across a wide span of genres and programmes. 2: Kelly Williams, managing director of ITV Commercial, highlights the benefits of this partnership. Working with YouTube provides advertisers with more ways to engage with audiences in premium brand-safe content from the nation's best loved TV shows. With a wide selection of targeting options, it offers a unique advertising platform.

ITV's On-Demand Platform - ITVX

1: In 2022, ITV announced plans for a new on-demand platform called ITVX, which replaced ITV Hub. This shows ITV's continuous efforts to adapt to the changing digital landscape and provide viewers with convenient access to their favorite shows. 2: Despite some challenges in revenues, ITV is still committed to its digital strategies. In 2022, group revenues dropped by 8% to £2.74 billion, but the company is taking steps to cut costs and improve its performance. For example, it plans to cut content costs by £10 million this year.

YouTube's Role in ITV's Strategy

1: Alison Lomax, managing director of YouTube UK & Ireland, is excited about the strengthened partnership. Hundreds of hours of programmes will be available on YouTube for the first time, allowing audiences to forge deeper connections with the shows they love. 2: Channel 4 has also followed suit by putting full episodes of its shows on YouTube, including "Hollyoaks" and its election and Paris Paralympic Games coverage. This shows the growing trend of TV networks using YouTube as a distribution platform.