ITV sees ad revenues ahead of market view, to cut costs

LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) - ITV (LSE: ITV.L - news) said it expected its key net advertising revenue to slip around 1 percent in the first nine months of the year, ahead of analyst expectations, and said it would trim costs to prepare for economic challenges ahead.

Britain's biggest commercial free-to-air broadcaster met first-half forecasts with flat net ad revenue, and said it would be down around 1 percent in the first nine months to the end of September.

Analysts had expected a fall of more than 5 percent in the third quarter.

It also said it would target around 25 million pounds ($33 million) in cost savings to prepare for the wider economic uncertainty sparked by Britain's vote to leave the EU. ($1 = 0.7611 pounds) (Reporting by Kate Holton; editing by Sarah Young)