Big tournaments give broadcasters something few other properties can match:
The update says ITV also expects a strong July, again tied to World Cup demand. That fits the usual pattern around major international tournaments: brands hold back spending earlier in the year, then push harder once the event gets close and viewing habits become easier to predict.
The same update says ITV’s total advertising revenue fell 1.5% in the first quarter, while its media and entertainment division was down 2%. Even so, that appears to have been better than the company had previously expected.
That matters in football terms because tournament years often distort normal trading patterns. Advertising money is not always lost; it is often delayed. The report says marketers were concentrating spend into the second and third quarters, when the expanded World Cup schedule is expected to create more matches and more premium broadcast slots than in 2022.
There is also a wider business angle. The update says ITV Studios grew 4% in the first quarter, helped by external revenue growth of 8%, while internal revenue fell 7%. It also says talks with Sky over a possible sale of the media and entertainment business remain active.
For football fans, the next point to watch is simple: whether World Cup build-up turns projected ad demand into a broader revenue surge through the summer. If it does, the tournament will again underline its value not just on the pitch, but across the broadcast business around it.