UKTV hits all time high in share of viewing and impacts in 2015


Details

Editor

| 06 January 2016




Once seen as a minority channel that offered only old content from the major UK broadcasters, UKTV now claims to be neck and neck with Channel 5's full portfolio and all of Sky's wholly-owned channels.



The company, an independent joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Network Interactive, has revealed that 2015 was its most successful year, with share of commercial impacts (SOCI) hitting an all-time high of 9.27% (YTD 26 December 2015). This means that UKTV's share of viewing has grown by 30% in five years, according to official BARB data (2010, 3.99% - 2015, 5.27%).

Explaining the drivers for the growth, UKTV attributed the spike mainly to increased investment in original programming has contributed to the network's viewing in 2015, up 3.7% year-on-year. The individual performances of UKTV's portfolio of ten channels and video-on-demand (VOD) service UKTV Play, were also said to have contributed to the network's upward growth trend. Dave, UKTV's flagship free-to-air entertainment channel, retained its place as the No 1 non-PSB channel in the UK and grew by 1% year-on-year.

Commenting on the year’s results, UKTV chief financial and operations officer Jan Gooze-Zijl, said: “UKTV's success is because we have taken risks and experimented with our content mix, ensuring viewers’ needs are at the heart of everything we do. For the first time in our history we are on a par with both Sky and Channel 5's full portfolios which is testament to the hard work of all 270 staff members.”