Further detail: July 2025 TV market detail page | TV Market Update hub.
July 2025: final editorial review
- Women’s Euro 2025 – BBC – 14.3m
- UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 – ITV – 12.8m
- Destination X – BBC – 12.0m
- Wimbledon – BBC – 11.9m
- The Great British Sewing Bee – BBC – 10.2m
- Karen Pirie – ITV – 8.8m
- Coronation Street – ITV – 8.7m
- BBC News at Six – BBC – 8.5m
- Emmerdale – ITV – 8.0m
- 24 Hours in Police Custody – Channel 4 – 7.9m
July was the sport-and-weather month. The Women’s Euro gave the market both a huge BBC audience and a major ITV commercial opportunity, which is exactly the distinction advertisers need to make. ITV’s UEFA Women’s Euro coverage, Karen Pirie, Coronation Street and Emmerdale were buyable, while Channel 4’s 24 Hours in Police Custody added a different kind of attentive factual audience.
The month sat inside what became the UK’s warmest summer on record. Heat, school holidays, sport, travel disruption and lighter routines all changed how people watched. Campaign activity naturally leaned towards drinks, travel, grocery, leisure, betting where compliant, and entertainment.
The buying read: July rewarded flexibility. Sport created premium moments, but not every advertiser needed to pay for them. Counter-programming, BVOD reach extension and smart frequency could be just as valuable for non-sport brands.
July 2025 was a month for looking at TV as a buying market, not just a viewing habit. The useful question for advertisers was where commercial attention could still be bought with confidence, and where demand was likely to push pricing up.
Commercial programming and viewing
July was a summer attention month. Commercial impacts were still there, but viewing was more weather-sensitive and less routine. ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Channel 5 and UKTV offered lighter entertainment, factual, lifestyle and sport contexts, while BVOD helped reach viewers outside fixed schedules.
Advertiser and category movement
Travel, leisure, drinks, grocery, retail, entertainment and automotive brands had the most natural fit. For response advertisers, the opportunity was efficient reach when some brand budgets paused. For brand advertisers, the risk was under-weighting TV just because summer feels quieter.
Broadcaster, agency and platform news
The market conversation was about making TV easier to buy without losing the craft of planning. The announced premium video marketplace was a sign that broadcasters wanted to compete for digital-first money, but agencies still needed to manage reach duplication, creative rotation and frequency.
Cost of TV and buying conditions
July often offers better relative value than spring or Q4, provided advertisers are flexible. Premium sport can still tighten pricing, but broader commercial TV and BVOD can produce efficient coverage. Short-term buyers should watch late availability closely.
Media buying view
- Use summer TV for efficient frequency and category fit.
- Do not overpay for isolated premium moments unless they support a clear fame objective.
- Use BVOD to smooth viewing volatility and control frequency.