ITV's generative AI advertising service drew 16 advertisers new to television in its first year, The Media Leader reported on 9 October1. "New to TV" means none of the 16 had bought television advertising before. Separately, in July Sky signed to buy ITV's broadcast and streaming arm.

ITV AI ads draw 16 TV newcomers
ITV's generative AI advertising service brought 16 advertisers to television for the first time in its debut year, The Media Leader reported.
ITV's AI ad service brought 16 first-time television advertisers in its debut year.
Deep Analysis
ITV is the UK's biggest commercial TV channel, paid for mainly by adverts. Making a TV advert usually costs a lot, because firms hire an agency and a film crew. ITV built a tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help smaller businesses make their own TV adverts. In its first year, 16 businesses that had never advertised on TV before used it, according to the trade website The Media Leader.
Television advertising has traditionally needed an agency and a production budget before a brand could buy airtime. A tool that makes the advert inside ITV's own platform removes the first barrier for small firms, which is the market the 16 newcomers come from.
The service sits inside the ITVX streaming business that Sky agreed to buy as part of the £1.6bn deal for ITV's Media and Entertainment arm, so its early results are now part of what Sky is acquiring.
- Opportunity
If the newcomer count grows, ITV gains an advertiser base that does not depend on agency budgets.
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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Editorial standards.