This month, ITV is making a monumental shift to enhance its advertising reach by launching premium ITV content on YouTube. This move not only signifies a new era for ITV, a staple of British television for over 70 years, but it also opens up a plethora of new opportunities for marketers looking to connect with highly engaged and diverse audiences.

The Power of ITV on YouTube

ITV has been a cornerstone of entertainment in the UK, delivering some of the nation’s most cherished TV shows. With the digital expansion through ITVX and now YouTube, ITV continues to adapt, targeting audiences who increasingly consume content online. The transition to YouTube allows ITV to supercharge its content, offering over 10.4k hours across 67 channels, and achieving more than 1 billion ad impressions annually.

Premium Content Meets Advanced Targeting

One of the most compelling aspects of ITV’s move to YouTube is the ability to offer premium, TV-quality content in a brand-safe environment. Advertisers can benefit from high production values and iconic brands associated with ITV, with the added advantage of YouTube’s sophisticated targeting options. Marketers can tailor their campaigns by content type, demographic, device, or even specific time bands, making sure their message reaches the right audience at the right time.

Demographics and Reach - skewing towards 18-34 year olds

ITV on YouTube boasts a remarkable reach, with about 17 million unique users per month. The content appeals to a diverse audience, with a notable presence of young adults aged 18-34 years. This demographic is particularly attractive to advertisers due to their buying power and media consumption habits. The gender split across ITV’s YouTube channels is approximately 60% male and 40% female, providing a balanced opportunity to target both genders effectively.

Engaged Audiences Across Genres

ITV’s YouTube presence features a wide range of content, from reality and entertainment to factual documentaries, sports, soaps, and lifestyle programs. Each genre attracts its unique set of viewers, with impressive engagement metrics:

• Reality & Entertainment: Shows like Love Island and The Graham Norton Show draw approximately 300 million views annually, with a strong appeal to the 18-34 age bracket.

• Factual: Content such as River Monsters and historical documentaries cater to viewers interested in deeper insights and storytelling, achieving high engagement with an average view duration of over 16 minutes.

• Sports: Covering events from the FIFA World Cup to Six Nations Rugby, ITV sports content captures the 25-44 age demographic, offering high-impact advertising opportunities during major sporting events.

• Soaps: With channels dedicated to Coronation Street and Emmerdale, ITV engages a loyal fan base, particularly females in the 18-34 demographic, through daily clips and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

• Food & Lifestyle: Programs like Hell’s Kitchen and Good Morning Britain provide daily doses of entertainment and news, appealing broadly across age groups but heavily watched by the 18-34 demographic.

Flexible Advertising Formats

ITV provides a variety of advertising formats to maximise visibility and impact. These include:

• Pre, Mid, and Post-Roll Ads: These can be tailored to fit campaign key performance indicators (KPIs) and are especially effective on connected TV platforms.

• Non-Skippable Ads: Designed to maximise impressions and completion rates, these are ideal for high-quality or longer creatives.

• Targeted Campaign Enhancements: Additional targeting options such as content bundles, demographic targeting, device-specific ads, and geo/timeband targeting allow for highly customised advertising strategies.

How to buy ITV on YouTube

ITV on YouTube is only available through Google’s premium ad platform DV360. If you are interested in exploring placing ads within ITV on YouTube, please get in touch, and we can create a proposed approach with costings.

Conclusion

ITV’s expansion onto YouTube is a strategic move that leverages the network’s rich content library and combines it with YouTube’s vast reach and sophisticated targeting tools. For marketers, this means access to premium, engaging content and a broad, diverse audience. Whether your goal is to increase brand awareness, launch new products, or drive specific consumer actions, ITV on YouTube offers a flexible, effective platform to meet diverse advertising needs.

By embracing this new opportunity, marketers can craft innovative campaigns that resonate with viewers and deliver measurable results. As ITV continues to grow its digital footprint, the potential for advertisers to reach their target audiences in compelling and effective ways will only increase.