The figure, the broadcaster's earnings before interest, tax and amortisation, is higher than city expectations of group earnings of £141m.
The City was expecting slightly lower earnings after ITV warned in a trading statement last month that it had been hit hard by a sharp decline in revenues at ITV Play, its quiz and gambling arm, as viewers lost confidence in phone-ins.
At the time, ITV warned revenues at ITV Play had plunged by 67% to £9m and also flagged a £36m hit to its cinema advertising company, Carlton Screen Advertising.
ITV's flagship channel, ITV1, reported net advertising revenues of £595m for the first six months of this year, down from £654m for the same period last year.
Group advertising revenues, which includes the broadcaster's family of digital channels, were £717m, against £752 for the same period last year.
However, despite the decline in advertising revenues, Grade, the ITV executive chairman, described the outlook for the third quarter of this year as "encouraging" on the back of a summer ratings improvement and a promising autumn schedule, which includes 'Britain's Favourite View' and 'Robbie Coltrane: B-Road Britain'.
ITV expects net advertising revenues at ITV1 to increase by 1% and total net advertising revenues to increase by 4%.
Grade said: "I'm very pleased with progress in ITV1's schedule performance and the outlook for revenue in Q3 is encouraging. The launch of the autumn schedule was well received with a number of returning hit series and major events including the Rugby World Cup."
Grade has made no perceivable progress in his efforts to scrap Contract Rights Renewal, the regulation that allows ITV1's advertisers to cut spending in line with its falling viewing figures, during his first six months in charge.
However, Grade said he will continue to press ITV's case with Ofcom, the OFT and the Competition Commission.
Separately, ITV has has appointed two non-executive directors with immediate effect. Agnes Touraine, a consultant specialising in advising executives on strategies to re-start profitable growth, also serves on the board of Cable & Wireless.
Heather Killen, a former senior vice-president of international operations at Yahoo, will also join the ITV board. Killen also co-founded a private equity and corporate finance advisory firm called Hemisphere Capital.
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