ITV, Britain's biggest free-to-air commercial broadcaster, said its key advertising sales were set to fall for the first time since 2009 after hitting tougher comparatives and general economic uncertainty.
The company, home to such shows as the 'X Factor' and 'Coronation Street', said net advertising revenues slowed in April at a slightly worse rate than expected and would be down in May and June on 2010 when it showed the soccer World Cup.
Analysts estimated the drop off in May would be at 9% and up to 20% in June although they noted that comparatives eased after that and said the group would be boosted by showing the Rugby World Cup later this year.
The results and outlook also fit with those of other European broadcasters, such as RTL, Europe's biggest commercial broadcaster, which posted a decline in core profit earlier this week due to a sluggish ad market.
Under its new management, ITV has tried to temper expectations after years in which the firm attracted close media scrutiny due to a string of takeover battles and a high profile management team.
Analysts had expected April trading to be stronger, however, as retailers spent on advertising around the royal wedding. It posted growth of 6% in April compared with forecasts of 8-12% growth, following a 12% rise in the first three months.
'As we anticipated, tough ITV1 World Cup comparators in June mean we may slightly underperform the market in the first half,' CEO Adam Crozier said.
'While we expect to outperform the market across the whole of the year, we remain cautious about the economic outlook,' he added.
ITV said its share of viewing had risen by 3% on its main channel, with its digital channels up by 11% for the four months to the end of April.
