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U.K. (FTSE) Media Industry Analysis

UpdatedMay 18, 2026
DataAggregated Company Financials
Companies26
  • 7D-1.5%
  • 3M-4.9%
  • 1Y-15.5%
  • YTD-9.7%

The Media industry is down 1.5% over the last week with ITV the worst performer, down 3.3%. Overall the industry is down 16% in 12 months. Earnings are forecast to grow by 30% annually.

Industry Valuation and Performance

Has the U.K. Media Industry valuation changed over the past few years?

DateMarket CapRevenueEarningsPEAbsolute PEPS
Mon, 18 May 2026UK£21.4bUK£32.9b-UK£77,876,869.4013.1x-274.5x0.7x
Wed, 15 Apr 2026UK£21.5bUK£33.0b-UK£63,625,309.0014.5x-337.6x0.7x
Fri, 13 Mar 2026UK£20.9bUK£33.0b-UK£336,036,037.0116.3x-62.2x0.6x
Sun, 08 Feb 2026UK£23.2bUK£32.9bUK£403.8m14.4x57.5x0.7x
Tue, 06 Jan 2026UK£24.2bUK£32.9bUK£404.4m14.4x59.9x0.7x
Thu, 04 Dec 2025UK£24.3bUK£33.1bUK£417.2m14.4x58.4x0.7x
Sat, 01 Nov 2025UK£24.2bUK£33.2bUK£416.3m12.9x58.1x0.7x
Mon, 29 Sep 2025UK£24.5bUK£33.2bUK£435.3m11.2x56.2x0.7x
Wed, 27 Aug 2025UK£24.9bUK£33.3bUK£482.3m12.8x51.7x0.7x
Fri, 25 Jul 2025UK£25.9bUK£34.1bUK£826.6m12.4x31.4x0.8x
Sun, 22 Jun 2025UK£25.2bUK£33.6bUK£1.1b11.8x24x0.7x
Tue, 20 May 2025UK£25.9bUK£33.6bUK£1.1b12.7x24.3x0.8x
Thu, 17 Apr 2025UK£23.3bUK£33.7bUK£1.1b11.7x21.4x0.7x
Sat, 15 Mar 2025UK£25.9bUK£33.8bUK£1.5b12.3x17.9x0.8x
Mon, 10 Feb 2025UK£30.6bUK£28.8bUK£1.3b16x23.9x1.1x
Wed, 08 Jan 2025UK£29.2bUK£28.7bUK£1.3b15.3x22.9x1x
Fri, 06 Dec 2024UK£29.4bUK£28.7bUK£1.3b15.3x22.8x1x
Sun, 03 Nov 2024UK£28.6bUK£28.7bUK£1.3b16.6x22.4x1x
Tue, 01 Oct 2024UK£29.5bUK£28.7bUK£1.3b19x22.4x1x
Thu, 29 Aug 2024UK£30.0bUK£28.8bUK£1.3b18x23.5x1x
Sat, 27 Jul 2024UK£31.2bUK£28.8bUK£1.1b21x27.9x1.1x
Mon, 24 Jun 2024UK£30.5bUK£28.7bUK£999.9m18.5x30.5x1.1x
Wed, 22 May 2024UK£31.9bUK£28.6bUK£983.4m21.5x32.4x1.1x
Fri, 19 Apr 2024UK£30.1bUK£28.7bUK£993.7m20.4x30.3x1x
Sun, 17 Mar 2024UK£30.0bUK£29.1bUK£809.0m26.7x37.1x1x
Tue, 13 Feb 2024UK£30.1bUK£28.9bUK£1.2b20.4x24.4x1x
Thu, 11 Jan 2024UK£31.8bUK£29.6bUK£1.2b17.9x26.9x1.1x
Sat, 09 Dec 2023UK£30.8bUK£29.6bUK£1.2b17.8x26x1x
Mon, 06 Nov 2023UK£30.5bUK£29.0bUK£1.2b18.7x25.7x1.1x
Wed, 04 Oct 2023UK£29.8bUK£29.0bUK£1.2b19.1x25.3x1x
Fri, 01 Sep 2023UK£30.9bUK£28.8bUK£1.1b24.1x28.3x1.1x
Sun, 30 Jul 2023UK£32.6bUK£28.3bUK£1.2b20.2x26.5x1.2x
Tue, 27 Jun 2023UK£31.6bUK£27.8bUK£1.2b42.9x27.1x1.1x
Thu, 25 May 2023UK£32.4bUK£27.8bUK£1.2b40.9x27.2x1.2x
Price to Earnings Ratio

27.2x


Total Market Cap: UK£32.4bTotal Earnings: UK£1.2bTotal Revenue: UK£27.8bTotal Market Cap vs Earnings and Revenue0%0%0%
U.K. Media Industry Price to Earnings3Y Average 11.8x202420252026
Current Industry PE
  • Investors are pessimistic on the British Media industry, indicating that they anticipate long term growth rates will be lower than they have historically.
  • The industry is trading close to its 3-year average PS ratio of 0.93x.
Past Earnings Growth
  • Total earnings for the Media industry have declined over the last three years, with the industry now making a loss overall.
  • Meanwhile revenues have grown 5.7% per year.
  • This means that although more sales are being generated, either the cost of doing business or the level of investment back into businesses has increased, which has decreased profits.

Industry Trends

Which industries have driven the changes within the U.K. Telecom industry?

GB Market-1.07%
Telecom-5.30%
Media-1.55%
Cable and Satellite0%0
Publishing-0.48%
Broadcasting-1.21%
Advertising-1.73%
Industry PE
  • Investors are most optimistic about the Broadcasting industry which is trading above its 3-year average PE ratio of 21.5x.
    • Analysts are expecting annual earnings growth of 30.0%, which is higher than its past year's earnings decline of 46.1% per year.
Forecasted Growth
  • Analysts are most optimistic on the Advertising industry, expecting annual earnings growth of 31% over the next 5 years.
  • This is better than its past earnings growth rate of 25% per year.
  • In contrast, the Publishing industry is expected to see its earnings grow by 20% per year over the next few years.

Top Stock Gainers and Losers

Which companies have driven the market over the last 7 days?

CompanyLast Price7D1YValuation
CAN Canal+UK£2.371.5%
+UK£35.3m		22.5%PS0.4x
FUTR FutureUK£3.210.9%
+UK£2.7m		-49.8%PE8x
RCH ReachUK£0.511.6%
+UK£2.5m		-31.6%PS0.3x
EYE Eagle Eye Solutions GroupUK£4.081.9%
+UK£2.2m		4.0%PS2.6x
SYS1 System1 GroupUK£2.964.2%
+UK£1.5m		-34.2%PE7.6x

Latest News

ITV
UK£0.77
ITV
7D
-3.3%
1Y
-1.0%
SFOR
UK£0.40
S4 Capital
7D
-10.4%
1Y
46.8%
Narrative Update • May 16

SFOR: Future Repricing Will Depend On Margin Delivery And Dividend Stability

S4 Capital's analyst price target has been raised to £0.41 from £0.27, as analysts factor in a lower discount rate, a smaller expected revenue decline, a reduced profit margin, and a much higher assumed future P/E multiple, supported by recent price target lifts from Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research on S4 Capital has centred on a series of price target adjustments in the low-20 GBp range, with some analysts updating their models to reflect changes in discount rates, revenue expectations, profit margins and assumed future P/E multiples.
EYE
UK£4.08
Eagle Eye Solutions Group
7D
1.9%
1Y
4.0%
FUTR
UK£3.21
Future
7D
0.9%
1Y
-49.8%
SAA
UK£1.41
M&C Saatchi
7D
-0.4%
1Y
-14.8%
WPP
UK£2.62
WPP
7D
-3.0%
1Y
-56.3%
Narrative Update • May 10

WPP: Weak 2026 Guidance And Sector Pressures Will Limit Future Repricing

Analysts have nudged WPP's average price target slightly higher, with recent moves such as Citi's £0.10 raise and Barclays' lift to £3.00 at Equal Weight reflecting cautious acknowledgement of recent account wins, alongside tempered expectations for profit margins and growth. Analyst Commentary Recent research highlights a mixed backdrop for WPP, with some modest price target increases sitting alongside earlier reductions and continued Neutral or Equal Weight ratings.
INF
UK£7.91
Informa
7D
-1.0%
1Y
-1.3%
Analysis Article • May 08

Informa's (LON:INF) Conservative Accounting Might Explain Soft Earnings

Shareholders appeared unconcerned with Informa plc's ( LON:INF ) lackluster earnings report last week. Our analysis...
RCH
UK£0.51
Reach
7D
1.6%
1Y
-31.6%
Narrative Update • May 07

RCH: Higher Margins And Low Future P E Will Drive Upside Potential

Analysts have held Reach's fair value target steady at £0.64 per share. They cite slightly higher assumed discount rates, a small change in expected revenue decline, a modestly stronger profit margin outlook and a marginally lower future P/E of about 2.89x as key inputs to their valuation work.
SYS1
UK£2.96
System1 Group
7D
4.2%
1Y
-34.2%
STVG
UK£1.01
STV Group
7D
0.5%
1Y
-38.5%
Narrative Update • May 03

STVG: Higher Future P/E Assumption Will Support Re Rating

Analysts have lifted their price target on STV Group to £7.86 from £3.26, reflecting updated expectations for more moderate revenue growth and profit margins, alongside a higher assumed future P/E multiple. Valuation Changes Fair Value: The £1.8 fair value estimate is unchanged in the updated assumptions.
CAN
UK£2.37
Canal+
7D
1.5%
1Y
22.5%
PEBB
UK£0.56
Pebble Group
7D
0.9%
1Y
64.7%
FOUR
UK£36.16
4imprint Group
7D
-3.3%
1Y
2.1%
SBDS
UK£0.21
Silver Bullet Data Services Group
7D
7.5%
1Y
-41.9%
BMY
UK£6.08
Bloomsbury Publishing
7D
-0.5%
1Y
-2.3%
TMG
UK£0.14
Mission Group
7D
-3.5%
1Y
-46.1%