ITV Unveils Restructure of Broadcasting Business

ITV is restructuring its broadcasting business, creating a new media and entertainment division, to be led by Kevin Lygo, with two units, broadcast and on-demand.

The broadcast business will encompass the ITV main channel, which will remain the home of drama, entertainment, sports, news and daytime shows. The on-demand unit will drive the online offering, which includes Hub, Hub+ and BritBox. The restructure is intended to reflect changing viewing habits and drive efficiency and cost-savings. The restructure has begun and is set to be complete by the end of March 2021. ITV also says it will reduce its London office space over the coming years.

Lygo, the director of television at ITV, will be managing director of the media and entertainment division and will continue to run the broadcast unit. Rufus Radcliffe (currently ITV’s CMO) will head up the on-demand unit. ITV is recruiting a new CMO as well as a COO for media and entertainment, both reporting to Lygo.

Carolyn McCall, ITV’s CEO, said, “Our new media and entertainment division will enable ITV to continue to deliver mass, live audiences while investing in the future to create the sort of content and viewing experience that younger, and other harder to reach viewers want. ITV will continue to broadcast shows that entertain millions of viewers. Most are watched live and that fact together with the scale of these audiences will continue to offer unrivaled opportunities for brands to reach consumers. Linear channels will be around and be profitable for many years but we also need an on-demand business, which will increasingly be the focus of our new investments in content and technology and that will be our growth engine attracting younger and more targeted audiences to ITV.”