ITV Celebrates Record Streaming Figures and Drama Success Despite £30m Savings Plan
ITV reports record streaming growth and five of the UK’s top ten dramas, alongside a £30m temporary savings plan and an update on its Sky deal.
ITV has reported record streaming success and another impressive year for its television dramas, with new figures showing continued growth for ITVX and strong performances from its production studios. The positive results come as the broadcaster announces £30 million in temporary savings to respond to a challenging advertising market.
In its latest trading update, released on Wednesday 11 November, ITV revealed that total streaming hours increased by 29% to 2.15 billion during the first nine months of 2026. Digital revenue also grew by 7%, with popular programmes including Trigger Point, Big Brother and Love Island helping ITVX attract viewers.
The broadcaster’s drama success has been particularly encouraging, with ITV Studios responsible for five of the UK’s ten most-watched dramas during the third quarter. These included The Gentlemen for Netflix, Ludwig and Vigil for the BBC, alongside ITV’s own The Blame and The Dark.
ITV also revealed that eight of the ten most-watched series across commercial broadcasters and streaming services so far this year were shown on ITV, demonstrating the continued popularity of its programmes.
The company has nevertheless announced £30 million in temporary savings, including £25 million from programme spending and £5 million from other costs. Some smaller productions are expected to move into 2027, although no redundancies are planned as part of these measures, and ITV’s total content budget for 2026 remains approximately £1.2 billion.
Looking ahead, ITV Studios has a strong production pipeline, including the seventh series of Line of Duty for the BBC. The company continues to expect revenue growth from its production business across the full year.
ITV’s agreed £1.6 billion sale of its broadcasting and streaming division to Sky is also progressing through regulatory review, with completion currently expected during the second half of 2027. ITV Studios will remain a separate production business, continuing to create programmes for broadcasters and streaming platforms around the world.
Despite the pressure on television advertising, ITV’s latest figures highlight the strength of British television production and the growing popularity of streaming among UK audiences.
Image: AI Gen/ITV
