ITVX connected TV advertising: formats and booking

What to take away

ITVX is ITV's free, ad-funded streaming service, and connected TV advertising on it is sold by ITV's advertising sales house, ITV Media.
Formats range from standard video spots to six-second bumpers and interactive units, priced on a CPM basis.
ITVX does not publish a rate card, so ask ITV Media for a quote against your dates and plan on a range.
Creative must arrive to ITV's video specification before the campaign can go live.
Targeting, frequency capping and your data-protection position all need agreeing at booking.

How ITVX advertising is sold

ITVX replaced ITV Hub in December 2022 as ITV's main streaming destination, mixing free ad-funded viewing with a paid Premium tier (ITVX). Advertisers therefore reach UK viewers watching on demand rather than live linear television.

The inventory does not sit in a self-serve dashboard. ITV sells it directly through its advertising sales house, ITV Media, and through its own programmatic platform, Planet V, so campaigns are briefed to a sales contact or a media agency rather than loaded by the advertiser.

Smaller brands should ask about minimum spend early. Direct buys often carry practical thresholds, and a very limited test budget may be better spent elsewhere.

If you are choosing between addressable platforms, Sky AdSmart vs ITVX compares reach, targeting and entry requirements side by side.

Ad formats and creative delivery

Ad formats and specs

Format	Typical length	Where it runs	Buying route
Standard video spot	10, 15, 20 or 30 seconds	Breaks inside on-demand episodes and films	ITV sales team or agency
Bumper	6 seconds	Before or between content	Direct or programmatic
Interactive or shoppable unit	15 to 30 seconds	Selected on-demand titles	Direct, negotiated
Addressable spot	Standard lengths	Targeted households	ITV's programmatic platform

Treat the table as a planning guide rather than a specification. ITV issues the definitive creative spec when a campaign is booked, covering file format, aspect ratio, frame rate and audio loudness. As a rule, UK television advertising is delivered as an HD 16:9 master at 25 frames per second, with audio mixed to the EBU R128 loudness standard, so build your master to that convention and confirm the exact file format with ITV.

ITVX ad formats at a glance

Standard video spot

Length: 10-30 seconds
Where it runs: On-demand breaks
Buying route: Sales team or agency

Bumper

Length: 6 seconds
Where it runs: Before or between content
Buying route: Direct or programmatic

Interactive/shoppable

Length: 15-30 seconds
Where it runs: Selected on-demand titles
Buying route: Direct, negotiated

Addressable spot

Length: Standard lengths
Where it runs: Targeted households
Buying route: ITV programmatic platform

Deliver the master file early. Late or non-compliant creative is a common reason a booked campaign slips its start date.

How ITVX advertising is priced

ITVX does not publish a public rate card, so CPMs are quoted per campaign. UK video on-demand inventory generally trades at a premium to standard display, because supply is finite and brand demand is steady.

A worked example, using illustrative figures only:

Illustrative £10,000 campaign maths

£10,000Campaign budget
£25Assumed CPM
400,000Impressions bought
133,000People reached at 3x cap

Move the assumed CPM to £40 and a £10,000 budget buys 250,000 impressions. That swing is why you should get a quote for your own dates instead of planning from a rule of thumb.

Ask whether the quoted CPM includes platform and data fees. A headline figure that leaves them out cannot be compared with another seller's.

Booking steps from brief to live campaign

Write the briefobjective, audience, budget, dates and the action you want viewers to take.
Ask ITV Media or your agency for the current rate card, available formats and any minimum spend.
Agree targeting and frequency capping, and confirm how viewer data will be handled.
Book inventory and confirm the insertion order in writing; ITV Media issues the order together with the creative spec.
Deliver creative to ITV's specification and allow time for technical checks.
Set up measurement before the first impression, not afterwards.
Review delivery weekly and adjust caps or weights while the campaign runs.

Targeting, measurement and compliance

Addressable targeting on streaming services leans on data, which brings data-protection duties with it. Document your lawful basis, consent position and retention periods before a targeted campaign runs, as the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) expects whenever personal data is used for advertising.

Verification and measurement deserve a clause in the contract. BARB, the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board, is the UK's television audience measurement body and reports viewing on streaming services, while independent vendors such as Integral Ad Science and DoubleVerify supply the viewability and invalid-traffic checks buyers ask for. Our connected TV ad fraud prevention checklist covers the controls worth asking for before you sign an insertion order.

Ad content is governed separately. The CAP Code — the Committee of Advertising Practice's rulebook, enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority — applies to streaming ads just as it does to linear television, so pricing claims and promotions need the same evidence.

Common questions

Does ITVX sell advertising to small businesses?

Yes. Any UK business can buy, but the route is usually through an agency or media buyer because there is no self-serve interface. Ask about minimum spend before you plan a small test.

What video specs does ITVX require?

ITV supplies the specification at booking. Expect a 16:9 HD master with audio mixed to the EBU R128 loudness standard, and confirm the file format and frame rate with your sales contact.

How much does ITVX advertising cost?

There is no published rate card. CPMs are quoted per campaign and move with season, ad length, targeting and volume, so request a quote against your dates.

Can I cap how often a viewer sees my ad?

Yes. Frequency capping is agreed at booking and can be adjusted mid-campaign, which makes it one of the more useful levers on a streaming buy.