Channel 4 drama viewing jumps 43% as streaming hits new highs
July 2, 2026 13.04 Europe/London By Julian Clover


Channel 4 says its investment in original drama is paying off after viewing across its linear channels and streaming platform grew by 43% during the first five months of 2026.

The broadcaster said its drama slate generated 10.3 billion viewing minutes between January and May, attracting 22.5 million viewers and adding 1.6 million more drama viewers than during the same period last year. Drama viewing hours were also up 30%, reflecting Channel 4’s increased commitment to scripted programming.

Leading the performance was A Woman of Substance, based on Barbara Taylor Bradford’s bestselling novel, which became Channel 4’s biggest streaming drama since It’s A Sin. The series averaged three million viewers across its first 28 days and has already been recommissioned for a second season.

Russell T Davies’ Tip Toe was the top-performing drama across all UK commercial broadcaster streaming services in June, drawing 2.2 million viewers in its first week. Channel 4 said the opening episode performed particularly strongly with younger audiences, delivering a 70% increase in share among 16 to 34-year-olds compared with the slot average.

Returning series Patience continued to be the broadcaster’s strongest drama franchise, with its second season averaging 3.9 million viewers over its first 28 days, while Dirty Business became Channel 4’s biggest factual drama launch on streaming in five years.

Ian Katz, Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer, said the figures reflected the broadcaster’s strategy of investing in distinctive British storytelling.

“From the gut punch state of the nation storytelling of Tip Toe to the bodice-ripping fun of A Woman of Substance, Channel 4’s 2026 drama slate is the richest in more than a decade and I’m thrilled that it’s resonating with audiences across the generations,” he said.

“Channel 4 has invested substantially in creating an all-year-round drama offer with both the distinctiveness and originality you’d expect from Channel 4 and some of the biggest writing and acting talent in the country. No other channel or platform would tackle subjects as diverse as the state of the British water industry, the tension between religious commitment and personal realisation and the rise of homophobia in Britain.”

To capitalise on the momentum, Channel 4 has launched a new brand campaign, Here for The Drama, ahead of a second-half slate that includes returning cyber-thriller The Undeclared War, Bella Ramsey drama Maya, a new instalment of the BAFTA-winning I Am anthology, and commissions including Steven Moffat’s Number 10, The Siege and Wrong Move.

The performance comes as Channel 4 continues to pursue its Fast Forward strategy, which aims to transform the broadcaster into a digital-first public service streamer by the end of the decade.