In this ExchangeWire team episode of the MadTech Podcast, head of marketing Grainne Reid is joined by CEO Rachel Smith, and head of content John Still, to discuss the latest headlines in the TV and streaming landscape. 

They examine the surge we’re seeing in ad-supported streaming, ITV announcing a new cost-cutting drive as its profits fall, and UK media regulator Ofcom proposing that YouTube should promote videos made by public service broadcasters. 

This week's stories:

UK uptake of ad-supported streaming to surpass ad-free options by 2026 (The Media Leader)

The popularity of ad-supported streaming services is continuing to grow in the UK, with 37% of new subscriptions in Q2 being for ad tiers, up from 26% a year earlier, reveal figures from the latest Entertainment on Demand study from Worldpanel by Numerator. 

Ad-supported streaming is now reaching 44% of UK households, while 51% are subscribed to ad-free services. By the second quarter of 2026, the number of households subscribed to ad-supported services is expected to outnumber those subscribed to ad-free ones. 

ITV announces new cost-cutting drive as half-year profits fall 44% (The Guardian)

ITV has launched a further £15m in cost cuts after profits plummeted in the first half of the year: pre-tax profits were down by 44% year on year to £99m in the first half of the year, with total advertising revenues falling by 7% to £824m. 

The broadcaster has struggled to repeat the success of an advertising boom in last year’s men’s European football championships, although the decline has been softened by England’s final matches in the women’s Euro 2025 tournament.

ITVX’s total streaming hours increased by 15% year on year to 1.1bn, while monthly active users rose by 9% to 16.4 million.

UK broadcasters 'need urgent boost from YouTube' (BBC)

UK media regulator Ofcom suggests that YouTube should give videos made by channels like the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 more promotion to help tackle a "serious threat" to the UK's public service broadcasting. The watchdog said broadcasters should "work urgently with YouTube" to make sure their content is "prominent and easy to find". Ofcom also said there's "a strong case" for the government to consider a law to make that happen.