Unilever signs £200m deal with ITV
Broadcaster ITV announced today that Unilever has signed a four-year deal to buy £200m (€292m) of airtime across its channels running to the end of 2009.
The news came as ITV said total advertising revenue was likely to be 10% down in the first quarter due to strong comparisons with a year earlier and the fact that Easter and the World Cup fall in the second quarter.
ITV, which was formed by the merger of Carlton and Granada in 2004, has been battling to retain viewers and its share of the advertising spending pot as digital channels mushroom and the nation prepares for the analogue signal to be switched off.
Profits rose 42% to £460m (€672m), despite the decline in advertising revenues at ITV1.
The deal with Unilever, which owns Dove, Lynx and Flora, is predominantly for “spot” advertising breaks on ITV channels 1 to 4 and Men& Motors.
