How to Advertise in ITV
How to Advertise in ITV
Key Takeaways
Mass Reach Meets Precision: ITV combines live TV’s unmatched scale with ITVX’s targeted digital advertising.
Multiple Formats: Choose from traditional spots, sponsorships, product placement, or digital video formats.
Expert Buying is Critical: Partnering with One Day Agency ensures you maximise efficiency, creative impact, and cultural relevance.
ITV is the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster and one of the most influential advertising platforms in Europe. With a diverse portfolio spanning live television, on-demand streaming, and programmatic digital inventory, ITV offers brands the ability to reach millions of viewers across multiple contexts. From high-impact TV sponsorships and mass-reach prime-time slots to precision targeting through ITVX, advertisers can tap into a broad range of options.
In this article, we’ll explore how to advertise on ITV, the formats available, how campaigns are set up, and why ITV remains a powerful media partner in today’s fragmented landscape.
1. Why ITV Still Matters
Despite the rise of Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube, ITV continues to command huge live audiences. Events such as I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, Love Island, and major sports coverage (from the FA Cup to England internationals) regularly pull in millions of viewers in real time. This live, communal viewing environment is something that streaming platforms cannot replicate at scale.
ITV also offers ITVX, its on-demand service that provides both live streams and catch-up content. For advertisers, ITV therefore combines the best of both worlds: broad, mass-reach TV spots and digitally targeted video inventory.
2. ITV Advertising Formats
Traditional TV Spot Advertising
The backbone of ITV’s offering is traditional TV spots, bought regionally or nationally. Advertisers can purchase based on cost per thousand impacts (CPT) within specific dayparts, genres, or shows.
ITV Sponsorships
Sponsorship deals allow brands to align directly with popular programmes, from Love Island to drama premieres. These deliver consistent association and brand recall across an entire series.
Product Placement
ITV is licensed for product placement within shows. Brands can appear directly in the content — from drinks on kitchen counters to cars on driveways — offering integration that goes beyond the ad break.
ITVX Digital Ads
Through ITVX, advertisers can access:
Pre-roll and mid-roll video ads within on-demand content.
Pause ads similar to streaming competitors.
Display formats within the app and interface.
Dynamic ad insertion during live streaming.
Addressable TV (Planet V)
ITV operates Planet V, a self-serve programmatic platform that allows advertisers to buy digital inventory across ITVX and partner publishers. This enables targeting by demographics, location, behaviour, and interests, delivering a level of precision traditionally unavailable in linear TV.
3. Audience Targeting on ITV
While traditional linear campaigns buy audiences through broad demographic profiles (ABC1 adults, women 16-34, households with kids), ITVX and Planet V extend this with digital targeting. Brands can reach viewers based on:
Location: Regional or postcode targeting.
Demographics: Age, gender, household composition.
Behavioural Data: Viewing habits, content genres, device usage.
First-party Data: Integration with CRM or customer datasets for retargeting.
This hybrid approach — mass reach combined with precision — makes ITV unique in the UK market.
4. Costs and Buying Models
ITV spot advertising is traditionally bought through CPTs (cost per thousand impacts), with rates depending on time of day, audience size, and demand. Prime-time shows or finals of major programmes command higher rates but deliver unmatched reach.
For ITVX, buying typically operates on a CPM (cost per mille) basis, closer to digital video. Minimum spends are generally required, though through Planet V advertisers can access more flexibility, including smaller budgets for targeted campaigns.
Sponsorship and product placement costs vary significantly, depending on programme popularity and integration complexity. Sponsorships for top shows can run into millions but deliver months of repeated association and cultural visibility.
5. Creative Considerations
ITV is a premium environment where creative quality matters. Ads must adhere to Clearcast approval, ensuring compliance with UK broadcast standards. Creative should be tailored to:
High-impact storytelling for traditional spots.
Shorter, digital-friendly edits for ITVX and pause ads.
Seamless integration for sponsorship idents (typically 5-10 seconds).
With ITV’s strong brand association, advertisers benefit from aligning their creative with high-quality content — but the execution must feel equally premium.
6. Regulatory Landscape
As a UK broadcaster, ITV advertising is regulated by Ofcom and the ASA’s BCAP Code for broadcast ads. This includes:
Restrictions on ads for certain products (e.g. HFSS food during children’s programming).
Clear distinction between advertising and editorial.
Ensuring claims are substantiated and not misleading.
Compliance is stricter than on digital platforms, which is both a challenge and a reassurance for advertisers — audiences trust the brand-safe environment ITV provides.
7. Challenges and Opportunities
Opportunities:
Reach millions in shared, real-time cultural moments.
Leverage ITVX for targeted digital campaigns.
Enhance association with high-profile sponsorships.
Integrate product placement for long-term brand recall.
Challenges:
Higher costs for prime inventory.
Intense competition for sponsorship slots.
Need for premium creative that meets regulatory approval.
Yet ITV remains one of the most effective environments for building awareness and cultural relevance in the UK.
How One Day Agency Can Help
At One Day Agency, we bring together creative, digital, and media buying to make advertising in ITV truly effective. Our senior-only model means you get experienced strategists and buyers managing every detail.
We help brands:
Plan and buy TV campaigns with efficiency, optimising CPTs while ensuring placement in the right shows and slots.
Navigate sponsorships and product placement, securing the best cultural alignments for long-term brand impact.
Integrate linear ITV campaigns with ITVX and Planet V, connecting traditional reach with precise, data-driven targeting.
Blend TV with OOH, digital, and social media, building integrated campaigns that extend beyond the ad break.
From negotiating pricing to ensuring creative compliance with Clearcast, One Day Agency provides end-to-end expertise. If you want your brand to be seen by millions in the UK’s most powerful TV environment, we’ll make it happen.
