Biggest Advertising Spender On GB News Is UK Government
In March, Ofcom ruled against specific episodes of a show hosted by MP Jacob Ress-Mogg . (Screengrab via GB News/YouTube)
The Conservative Government is the top spending advertiser on GB News, paying the network over £1 million of taxpayer money for commercials since the channel’s inception.
A report in Byline Times examined detailed advertising expenditure breakdowns by Barb, which compiles data on audience ratings, revealed a breakdown of the government’s GB News spending. Ad expenditures include campaigns for cancer screening, household assistance, and military recruitment, totaling hundreds of thousands.
Since GB News was launched in 2021, the UK government has spent around £1 million on 10,500 advertisements – working out at around £340,000 per year of taxpayers money.
The Tory-rostered network boasts several sitting Conservative MPs among its star presenters, including MPs Jacob Rees-Mogg and Philip Davies.
When asked for comment a Cabinet Office spokesperson defended the advertising strategy in a statement to Byline Times: “The Government advertises across a wide range of platforms and channels to communicate to the widest audience possible. All advertising space is independently purchased by an agency, OmniGOV, to achieve this reach, while also prioritising value for money for taxpayers.”
The news comes as the channel faces ongoing scrutiny from the media watchdog Ofcom over reported breaches of impartiality, with particular attention on its Tory presented shows.
