TV industry revenue in the UK broke the £13bn barrier in 2014, driven by increased BBC spending due to big sporting events, coupled with strong growth in advertising.
UK broadcaster income was £13.2bn in 2014, up 3.1% compared to £12.8bn in 2013, according to Ofcom’s latest Communications Market Report.
BBC income spent on TV was up 5% to £2.7bn, accounting for more than a fifth of the total. Ofcom said the increased figure attributed to the BBC was primarily down to its coverage of the World Cup in Brazil and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
However, the BBC’s contribution to total broadcaster income has grown slower than most other sources over the last five years, up only 1.3% from 2009 and down as a proportion of the total from 23% to 20.1%.
Advertising revenue increased 3.9% to £3.8bn, with broadcasters increasing their total share of display advertising – which includes print ads and online banners – slightly to 44%. The core channels of the public service broadcasters including ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 attracted £2.1bn in advertising, well over half the total.
However, subscription revenue for paid services such as Sky, Virgin and BT remained the largest source of income for broadcasters, accounting for almost £6bn.
