Phil Hall in the Financial Times

X Factor brings Superbowl fever to ITV By Ben Fenton

Published: November 11 2010

The X Factor final is fast becoming the Superbowl of UK television, with advertisers likely to pay more than £200,000 for a 30-second spot when it takes place over the weekend of December 11 and 12.

The ITV talent show’s proximity to Christmas, the increasing publicity around its pop-star hopefuls and a lack of live mass-event advertising opportunities have all combined to make the programme special, according to media buyers.

Speaking of the two-hour shows planned for the final, Phil Hall, head of television at media agency Mediacom, said: “In terms of money, these will be ITV’s most profitable four hours in the course of the year.

“Advertisers will put specific types of copy that’s relevant in order to get in there. It is the closest thing we’ve got to the Superbowl.”
Another media buyer, who asked not to be named, said: “The World Cup will actually get you a slightly bigger audience, but in terms of families all sitting around together glued to TV – the advertiser’s dream – The X Factor is probably better . . . And unlike the World Cup, it happens every year.”

That person and an ITV executive calculated that the value of 30-second spots would, like the audience ratings, be about 10 per cent up on last year, when the first advertisement of the first commercial break sold for just over £200,000.
Rupert Howell, who was ITV’s commercial director at the time of last year’s final of The X Factor, said he believed the format would remain fresh longer than sceptics were predicting.

“All non-sports events have a shelf life, but don’t underestimate the genius of Simon Cowell [the show’s producer] in keeping it new and different and interesting,” Mr Howell said.

Takings from The X Factor will contribute to what rivals say will be an ITV success story in December’s ad market, with an increase of 10 per cent over the 2009 Christmas season.

The festive glow from Mr Cowell’s talent show will have to last a while, however.

No media buyer, broadcaster or television analyst contacted by the Financial Times on Thursday was prepared to predict how 2011 would begin, but none of them expected it to be a happy new year for the industry.