ITV Live Discussion

Gamesinvestor1 26 Jul 2018

Netflix What do you all think about the new CEO’s decision to pull content off Netflix? Not sure I think it’s such a smart move, considering the cost involved in setting up a competing streaming service. Surely it’s better to take royalties and license fees off the content and let other companies fork out for the expensive infrastructure and cost of delivery? This looks worrying and the share price direction seems to reflect that – not my cleverest decision to invest in ITV to date. I think the time to sell was when Archie and Crozier sold all their stock and stepped aside - a missed opportunity indeed ! Games

Gamesinvestor1 26 Jul 2018

Virgin Media could lose ITV programmes in long-running dispute Is it that big of a threat? I’m assuming the Virgin Media customers also have paid TV licenses, in which case they can receive both BBC and ITV channels via the standard aerial - why would this be that big a threat to Virgin Media? Inconvenient of course yes, but not a total blocker. Also for catch-up, they all have access to ITVHub on a smart TV or via Comcast from your phone if you don’t have a smart TV (this + a low cost Comcast dongle in the HDMI port). Games – or is there much more to it than that?

Nige_co 26 Jul 2018

Virgin Media could lose ITV programmes in long-running dispute the Guardian – 26 Jul 18 Virgin Media could lose ITV programmes in long-running dispute Four million pay-TV customers face lost channels if agreement cannot be reached Four million pay-TV customers face lost channels if agreement cannot be reached Virgin Media’s 4 million pay-TV customers face losing hit ITV shows including Coronation Street and Love Island as a longstanding dispute with the broadcaster comes to a head. ITV is understood to have written to Virgin Media warning that it could remove its channels as soon as this weekend if an agreement cannot be reached. Virgin Media and ITV have been in protracted and at times tense talks over a range of issues including the carriage of ITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, video-on-demand rights and guarantees of the prominence of its programming, as cable viewers increasingly watch programmes on demand from Netflix, Amazon and broadcasters’ own streaming services. ITV threatened Virgin Media with a channel black-out last year but delayed the decision for the arrival of Carolyn McCall, who joined from easyJet in January. To date McCall has taken a more flexible and collaborative approach in negotiations, which are understood to be at an advanced stage. However, Virgin Media’s decision on Sunday to remove UKTV’s 10 TV channels – a mix of free-to-air and pay stations including Dave and Gold – appears to have provided an opportunity for ITV to pressure the cable operator. Four sources have confirmed that the letter was sent and contains an ultimatum, or threat, that ITV could remove its channels if a final deal is not signed. In the event of a blackout it is unclear if the broadcaster would be allowed to take down its flagship channel, home to shows including X Factor, as it is a public service channel that under broadcasting regulations must be supplied to rivals. However, channels such as ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and their high-definition variants could potentially be taken off air. Sources say that despite the letter Virgin Media and ITV’s talks have not broken down and while they have been protracted they are now close to the point of a deal. One source described the letter as “opportunistic” but not likely to result in a breakdown in relations as has happened with UKTV. A spokesman for ITV declined to comment on the talks and the letter. A Virgin Media spokesman said: “All ITV channels remain live on Virgin TV and we have no intention of removing them.” It is understood that Virgin Media and UKTV have not held new commercial discussions since Saturday. On Sunday, UKTV’s channels were replaced with a range of channels offering shows including Suits, Designated Survivor, Britain’s Next Top Model, Deadliest Catch and sports programming.

In_the_dark_yet_again 25 Jul 2018

Interim results LSE:ITV [[link] Can’t say I’m very impressed. Despite the ‘Love Island and World Cup’ boost underlying EPS down - statutory up due to adjustments but core is down with only 2% advertising revenue growth despite significant growth of online revenue. Total revenue is up but so are costs, quite significantly. Projection for the rest of the year… 1% growth. Carolyn McCall (CEO) is trying very hard here to put a positive spin on this, talking up any possible positive but it reads pretty hollow. I’m slightly surprised the market hasn’t kicked ITV this morning… unless of course it was exactly as expected (I have no idea of analyst’s expectations, I don’t tend to pay them any attention). Dividend up the bare minimum acceptable at 3% which looks like all we’ll get for the foreseeable. I suspect it’s just the possibility of some M&A (ITV on the receiving end) that’s holding this up. Regards, ITDYA, very much less than impressed.

Nige_co 25 Jul 2018

M&A activity The Telegraph Market report: Superdry takes a tumble after its co-founder sells £71m stake Clothing brand Superdry fell out of fashion with investors after the company’s co-founder cashed in on a £71m stake, raising doubts over its recent share price rally. ITVedged down 0.3p to 170.5p despite JP Morgan predicting that the wave of deal making in the US media sector would spread to Europe. After a deluge of bids in America, involving media mammoths Disney, Fox, AT&T and Time Warner, the Wall Street bank argued that ITV was the best European candidate to be swept up in the next spate of deals. The broadcaster’s own content and the fact that it “operates in an English language market” makes it an attractive takeover target for both US and European media companies, its analysts told clients.

Nige_co 24 Jul 2018

M&A activity [link] potential overlooked ** US Media has seen a wave of M&A activity amid declining pay TV penetration – Proposed media M&A totaled $322.5 billion in H1’18, >6x same period last year Media deal wave: [link] ** JPM expects the trend to spread to Europe and sees ITV (“overweight”) as favoured play on M&A and ups PT by 20% to 240p – 39% upside from current levels ** “We see scope for broadcasters to co-operate and consolidate to create national streaming platforms, greater scale in production and savings/synergies in technology investment,” analysts at the brokerage write

Gamesinvestor1 22 Jul 2018

ITV leads fightback against US streaming giants Nige -Interesting concept, but it’s devilishly difficult to get consumers to keep signing up for more subscription services. I mean they have Sky, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney is coming out with a streaming service - how many direct debits remain possible from the average wage earner - I dunno? I think ITV’s content is excellent in many respects, but surely the value lies more in having someone else carry the infrastructure load and ITV collect royalties for the content. Would Love Island work well on a Netflix platform for example, it has such a massive reach? Games

Nige_co 21 Jul 2018

ITV leads fightback against US streaming giants [link] The new chief executive of ITV is set to outline a plan to create a British challenger to Netflix and Amazon Video. Dame Carolyn McCall is expected to shed light on how ITV and its peers can combat the growing power of the American streaming groups. The former Easyjet boss, who joined ITV in January, has held talks with the BBC and Channel 4 over creating a subscription-based, video-on-demand service. Under the plans, viewers would be charged a monthly fee for watching the broadcasters’ roster of scheduled programmes, as well as vintage shows from their back catalogues. Britain’s biggest free-to-air broadcaster also could strike out on its own, adding extra layers of content to the ITV Hub online platform. Dame Carolyn will detail her streaming strategy next Wednesday, alongside results for the first half of the year. England’s run to the semi-final in Russia may have boosted ITV’s annual advertising revenues by as much as £25 million, according to analysts. Traditional broadcasters are bolstering their digital offerings as a defence against the giant American streaming platforms and in response to changes in how Britons are watching television. Netflix has 9.1 million British subscribers, while Amazon Video is available in 4.8 million homes, according to figures from Barb, the research body. Yet though the streaming players threaten to snatch viewers away from free-to-air broadcasters, their emergence also has been a boon to ITV, according to sources. The company charges large fees for licencing its programmes to Netflix and Amazon, while its studios business produces some of their content. A potentially larger threat comes from YouTube and other free video platforms, which are commanding more of younger people’s attention. According to a recent Ofcom report, those aged 16 to 34 spend 46 per cent of their viewing time on content made by public service broadcasters, compared with 71 per cent for the television audience as a whole. ITV still produces shows, such as Love Island, that resonate with the generation that grew up with a smartphone in its hands, but the broadcaster wants to do more to remain relevant and is expected to overhaul the ITV Hub. ITV could add extra features, such as creating a curated list of programmes for its users. In future, data on viewing habits could be used to inform commissioning decisions. The Hub allows viewers to catch up on recently aired shows without charge, although they can can pay £3.99 a month to download shows, skip ads and use the service abroad. ITV has a streaming deal with the BBC, called Britbox, which allows American viewers to pay to watch their programmes. This could be used as a template for a future UK-based alliance.

Nige_co 20 Jul 2018

Traditional TV Has an Answer to Netflix: ‘Love Island’ The British broadcaster’s show has become a must-watch in prime time, proving linear programming may just have a future after all. [link]

Nige_co 18 Jul 2018

Questor: at half Sky’s valuation ITV could be attractive to a bidder, so hold the shares CONT… The interim dividend a year ago came to 2.52p. For the full year, analysts are looking for a 5pc increase, although no one appears to have pencilled in any further special dividends, not least because net debt is now pretty much back to where it was in 2009 after a string of acquisitions and some meaty dividend payments. It is possible that the World Cup has given advertising revenue a bit of a lift and, if so, that would be a welcome bonus, but it is not fundamental to the investment case. Instead, this lies with the stock’s valuation, and the company’s long-term strategy and competitive position. Besides the actual numbers, all eyes will be on the “strategic refresh” planned by Dame Carolyn McCall, the chief executive. The term implies that radical changes are unlikely; possible themes involve investment in programming and technology, which would reaffirm and deepen the firm’s commitment to content creation. That makes sense for the long term and may increase ITV’s appeal to a potential bidder. John Malone’s Liberty Global still has a 9.9pc stake in the business and the ongoing tussle for Sky, discussed briefly below, could serve to highlight the value of ITV’s position in Britain’s broadcast market and its relatively lowly valuation. Sky may have a firmer grip on prime content such as football and films but ITV’s content library is flourishing. And at Comcast’s offer price of £14.75 a share, Sky trades on more than 22 times forward earnings, while ITV trades on barely half that multiple and has a higher yield for good measure. This attractive yield and valuation could reward patient support. Questor says: hold Ticker: ITV Share price at close: 173.3p

Nige_co 18 Jul 2018

Questor: at half Sky’s valuation ITV could be attractive to a bidder, so hold the shares This column nearly got its head cut off the last time it stuck its neck out on ITV, assessing the shares just before full-year results in February led to a plunge. It may seem foolhardy to try again, as the broadcaster’s interims are due next week, but without (carefully managed) risk there can be no reward. Thankfully, the shares have largely recovered their lost ground, helped by May’s reassuring first-quarter statement. Revenues rose by 5pc in the first quarter, with non-advertising sales 12pc higher, to reaffirm the value of ITV’s strategy to create and sell more programming content. Advertising revenues rose by 1pc and forecasts of a 2pc increase for the first six months of 2018 looked encouraging… The Telegraph Questor: at half Sky’s valuation ITV could be attractive to a bidder, so hold... This column nearly got its head cut off the last time it stuck its neck out on ITV, assessing the shares just before full-year results in February led to a plunge.

Nige_co 14 Jul 2018

Battling the media titans - How can players such as ITV compete with the likes of Netflix? This is Money – 13 Jul 18 ALEX BRUMMER: How will modest players such as ITV compete? Clearly life would be better for ITV, Channel 4 and others if the likes of Netflix and Amazon could be regulated and brought under the umbrella of Ofcom chief Sharon White.

Nige_co 10 Jul 2018

England is in the World Cup semi-final. Here’s how to profit However, there’s another, less obvious stock that I think could do well out of England’s World Cup success and that’s ITV (LSE: ITV). Could the broadcaster be the best way to profit from the tournament? Huge viewer numbers ITV is one of the two channels that broadcast the World Cup here in the UK, along with the BBC. And like the pubs, supermarkets and sports stores, ITV is set to benefit significantly from England’s success in the tournament. Last week, an incredible 24.4m viewers tuned into ITV to watch England’s match against Colombia, making it the biggest television event since the London Olympics closing ceremony in 2012. A further 3.3m people watched the game on the ITV hub. Given that ITV is showing the semi-final this Wednesday (and the final on Sunday, but let’s take it one match at a time), the broadcaster is set for more huge viewer numbers this week. And that means one thing – higher advertising revenues. With over 20m Britons likely to tune into ITV for the big game against Croatia, the group will be able to charge hundreds of thousands of pounds for just a short advertisement. This could boost its bottom line considerably. Investment appeal From an investment perspective, ITV offers a lot of appeal at present. The shares are cheap, trading on a forward P/E ratio of 11.8, and they also offer a high dividend yield. Last year, the group paid out 7.8p per share in dividends, meaning that the stock currently sports a trailing yield of 4.3%. While ITV hasn’t had a great run over the last two years, it appears that sentiment towards the group is now improving. For example, last week, analysts at Société Générale gave the FTSE 100 company a double upgrade, lifting it from a ‘sell’ to a ‘buy.’ As a result, I think now could be a good time to take a closer look at the stock. Whether or not England make it to the World Cup final, I believe ITV shares have the potential to rise from here.

El_Kel 09 Jul 2018

Yet again these sh*tty graphs bear no resemblance to the actual price Excellent, thanks js!

jackdawsson 09 Jul 2018

Yet again these sh*tty graphs bear no resemblance to the actual price El_Kel: Bowman Could you please advise on how you inserted the iii graph? Thanks Hi El Kel, I tend to use charts from other sites. However, until Bowman gets back, to answer your specific query: A quick way of linking ii charts is take a screenshot of any you want to link. On my Mac I press 3 keys simultaneously, CMD, Shift, 4. I drag my cursor across the part I want saving & release the keys. That image appears on my desktop. Then when posting a comment, I drop my desktop image via the “add an image” option highlighted above by an upward pointing arrow. Example below, basic 1 year chart for ITV as it appears on ii. Hope that helps. - Regards. Screen Shot 2018-07-09 at 14.36.41.png1203x798 57.6 KB