Political ads could soon be flooding UK TV screens as parties look to exploit a legal loophole around the ban, which does not currently apply to streaming platforms.
First reported by The Guardian, ITV is currently considering whether to take paid ads from political parties across its ad-supported video-on-demand platform ITVX in the run-up to the general election.
British political parties have traditionally been banned from buying public TV ad placements since the dawn of commercial television in 1955, in a bid to avoid the intrusive living-room campaigning that has now become associated with US presidential elections.
Last updated more than 20 years ago in 2003, the ban does not take into account broadcasters’ video-on-demand streaming platforms, which have grown increasingly popular over the last decade and now boast millions of daily viewers.
This would mean that significantly popular shows which attract huge streaming numbers, such as Love Island or Saturday Night Takeaway, could soon be peppered with hard-hitting party political content.
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With millions of viewers turning away from traditional TV over the last several years, especially the under-30s, the Conservative and Labour parties are reportedly set to spend millions on targeting the format.
ITV has notoriously struggled this past year with falling advertising revenues across both digital and linear TV – and this loophole may offer the broadcaster a highly lucrative opportunity.
Historically, British political parties would not have had the funds to invest in such large-scale campaigning, but a rule change announced by Michael Gove last year now caps party election spending at £35 million, as opposed to £19.5 million in 2019.
“Political advertising is prohibited on live television (including live simulcast channels within ITVX) but there are no such rules for streaming services such as ITVX more broadly or for video-sharing platforms such as YouTube, or social media networks such as Facebook,” an ITV spokesperson said.
“It is for political parties to consider where they wish to run their campaigns. As a commercial PSB [public service broadcaster], we’re considering our position on this issue very carefully.”
