Rugby World Cup matches could soon be locked behind paywall September 26, 2023 Rugby World Cup matches could be locked behind a paywall, with the next tournament in 2027 set for dramatic changes in how it is broadcast and staged. Whereas the Fifa World Cup in its entirety must be on free-to-air television due to being on the UK government’s protected list of “crown jewels”, only the Rugby [...]
Government must close crown jewel loophole, new report says September 22, 2023 A new report has urged the government to close a loophole that could allow streaming services access to crown jewel sporting events. Crown jewel events are major sporting occasions that must be on free-to-air television, such as the Olympic Games and Fifa World Cup. A report from the Culture, Media and Sport committee, however, suggests [...]
England World Cup final defeat smashes UK TV audience records for women’s football August 21, 2023 England’s World Cup final with Spain on Sunday smashed UK TV audience records for a women’s football match, despite an early kick-off and the Lionesses missing out on the trophy. The nail-biting 1-0 defeat attracted an average audience of 13.3m watching on live television, with both BBC One and ITV broadcasting the match from Australia. [...]
Do viewers prefer the news or Netflix? Ofcom’s latest report reveals state of the nation August 3, 2023 Traditional news channels have beaten Netflix to secure the top spots on the nation’s television appetite as audiences increasingly drift to different media outlets, according to Ofcom’s latest annual Media Nations report. BBC One emerged as the viewers’ first port of call when switching on the TV last year, capturing 20 per cent of the [...]
ITV earnings plunge over 50 per cent amid ‘challenging’ ad market July 27, 2023 British broadcaster ITV reported a steep drop earnings today as it grapples with the downturn in the advertising market. The streaming giant said their group adjusted EBITA plummeted to 52 per cent to £152m in the six months ending June 30, down from £318m in the first half of 2022. ITV said this reflected “the challenging advertising [...]
Johnny Mercer will ‘soon be history’, says Keir Starmer July 22, 2023 Sir Keir Starmer has labelled Johnny Mercer a “silly sod” who will “soon be history”, after he compared Labour’s new 25-year-old MP to a character from comedy series The Inbetweeners. The minister for Veterans’ Affairs said Keir Mather had been “dropped into” the Selby and Ainsty constituency in North Yorkshire and “spouted identikit Keir Starmer [...]
ITV ‘no longer’ exploring £1bn bid for Fleabag maker All3Media July 14, 2023 ITV has pulled out of a potential acquisition of All3Media, amid concerns any deal would not represent fair value for money.
ITV ‘actively exploring’ Traitors producer All3Media acquisition June 16, 2023 Broadcaster ITV has confirmed it is “actively exploring” an acquisition of Traitors producers All3Media. It follows reports the TV channel was seeking to buy the production company from its joint owners Warner Bros Discovery Inc., which is facing a debt issue, and Liberty Global. The business would be combined with ITV’s Studios unit, according to [...]
Schofield affair ‘deeply inappropriate’ but ITV boss tells MPs there was no evidence June 14, 2023 Phillip Schofield’s affair with a young male colleague on This Morning was “deeply inappropriate”, the ITV chief executive has told MPs. Dame Carolyn McCall faced questions from MPs about Schofield’s exit during Wednesday morning’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee session in Parliament. She said the “imbalance of power… dynamics” made the relationship “deeply inappropriate”, and [...]
Phillip Schofield: I have ‘lost everything’ after the affair June 2, 2023 Phillip Schofield said he has “lost everything” in the wake of his affair with a younger male colleague and told of a “catastrophic effect” on his mind. The former This Morning presenter, 61, said the fallout from the revelations had been “relentless” and urged the media to leave his former lover “alone now”. Speaking to [...]