World Cup Set To Score For UTV

A regional broadcaster is to be the real winner as this year's World Cup kicks-off.

Ulster Television Media expects the tournament to fuel a 13% revenue rise in its radio division, which includes TalkSport, and a 19% boost to TV advertising across May and June.

UTV, which operates the Northern Ireland ITV franchise and runs 20 radio stations in the UK and Ireland, said that total group revenues is already on the up.

It rose 2% on a like-for-like basis in the four months to the end of April - good news - especially as it is the first time UTV Media has recorded growth since 2008.

Now, with the South African soccer tournament looming, the company's Radio GB division, which includes TalkSport and free weekly magazine Sport, is aiming to push ever further above the already positive revenues, up 8% year-on-year in the first four months.

The performance - which excludes the results of London-distributed Sport, which the company says hit profitability in the period - exceeds that of the UK radio market, which grew 5% in the first four months.

UTV Media's television operation saw revenue increase by just 1% in the four months to the end of April, fuelled by sales in Northern Ireland falling by 13% for the period.

However "improving market sentiment" and the World Cup should give the division a 19% ad revenue boost in May and June.

The Belfast-based company said that revenues at its Radio Ireland continued to be under pressure falling 7% year-on-year in the first four months. On a like-for-like basis, excluding the impact of exchange rate effects, the fall was 5%.

"Airtime bookings continue to be short term thereby offering limited forward visibility," UTV Media said in a statement. "However, we remain cautious about the remainder of the year, due to the uncertainty surrounding the pace of recovery in the UK and the timing of recovery in the Republic of Ireland."

(BMcC/GK)