UKTV celebrate ‘highest ever Q1 ratings’

UKTV has released consolidated viewing figures from the first quarter of the year and announced its highest ever Q1 share of viewing (4.73%)* with UKTV Originals continuing to entice viewers.

“UKTV achieved record viewing in 2020 and I’m so pleased to see that momentum continuing into the first quarter of this year, driven by brilliant programming – be that our original shows, global acquisitions or viewer favourites from the BBC archive.” – CEO Marcus Arthur

Popular channels Dave, Drama, Gold, Yesterday and Alibi have all experienced growth between January 1 and March 31 as well as on-demand service UKTV Play. In addition, younger viewers (16-34) have flocked to the network, 10% more than this time last year. February and March were also recorded months for SOCI.

For UKTV’s seven-channel network, it has achieved a record share of commercial impacts for the months of February and March, 8.08% and 8.72% respectively**. Compared with the same period last year, UKTV has grown its overall SOCI by 8.3% to reach 8.32%.

The standout channel is Drama, which had its highest SOCI on record in March (2.98%), significantly higher than its previous highest SOCI month which was 2.80% in May last year. Alibi, Dave, Gold and Yesterday have also achieved SOCI growth during this time.

“Starting the year with a strong SOCI, viewing share, impressive ratings and more viewers than ever, particularly 16-34s, is evidence that our growth strategy is on the right trajectory. It is also testament to the hard work of colleagues across the business throughout a difficult year for many. As we enter and adapt to another period of change, everyone here at UKTV is focussed on continuing to deliver brilliant new shows for viewers to enjoy.” – CEO Marcus Arthur

UKTV’s SOCI for 16-34s has also grown to 6.12%, the best the network has seen for six years. In addition, Dave has had 29% y-o-y SOCI growth for 16-34s for the quarter.

The network has also grown its viewing share to 4.73% between January 1 and March 31 2021 – the broadcaster’s highest ever Q1 share and a y-o-y growth of 8.6%. It has also achieved y-o-y share growth for adults (+8.6%), 16-34s (+10.1%) and ABC1s (11.2%).

Comedy entertainment channel Dave has witnessed a significant number of 16-34s tuning in throughout the first quarter of the year, 20% more compared with the same period last year. This is thanks to new and returning UKTV Originals including Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, Meet the Richardsons (series 2), and Hypothetical (third series). The channel has also increased its viewing share by 4% y-o-y.

“I’m pleased to see Bangers and Cash taking Yesterday’s ratings to new heights. The team has done a fantastic job, with our brilliant production partners, to populate the channel’s schedule with a number of high rating, high quality hits.” – Richard Watsham, UKTV’s Director of Commissioning

Drama, which recently launched a +1 channel on Freeview, has continued to entertain audiences with its range of much-loved shows. The channel has remained the number one non-PSB owned channel in the UK, its share is up 17% y-o-y, and March was its best month ever.

Death in Holy Orders, the feature-length murder-mystery thriller based on the PD James book, consolidated to 696k viewers, the channel’s second-highest broadcast for a show ever and the most-watched show on the channel for the year so far. Last Of The Summer Wine and Death in Paradise make up the other top shows on Drama for Q1 2021

Dedicated crime drama channel Alibi has also had y-o-y uplift (+16%) driven by the second outing of the action-packed police series and international hit Hudson & Rex which averaged 548k viewers. Rosario Dawson-led drama series Briarpatch also proved popular with viewers, 516k viewers (Total Consumption) tuned in to the premiere of that in January.

“After a busy development period during the lockdown, we’re now well-positioned to continue that growth across the network with our highest ever commissioning budget in place for the next 12 months and a number of exciting projects waiting in the wings.” – Richard Watsham, UKTV’s Director of Commissioning

UKTV Originals on leading factual channel Yesterday were the stars of Q1 and have taken the channel’s share up by 12% y-o-y. Bangers and Cash, series four, opened to 648k viewers making it the strongest launch for the charming Yorkshire-based observational documentary series and the second-highest performing episode of any show on the channel to date. Secrets of the Transport Museum has become the second-best brand-new, series one, launch to date on the channel.

UKTV Original shows have proved popular with viewers on Gold and W. The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out launched on 6th March on Gold to 577k viewers, the best performing retrospective since The Story of Only Fools and Horses in 2017. It has also had a positive impact on viewing figures for the original Vicar of Dibley archive which is the third-highest rating show on the channel for the quarter. On W, Emma Willis: Delivering Babies in 2020 has had one of the strongest 16-34 profiles for a UKTV commission on the channel with 66% of the show’s audience aged 16-34.

“Alibi has a whole host of gripping new crime series in production for later this year and early next; Annika, starring the incredible Nicola Walker, Ragdoll, a dark thriller from Sid Gentle, the makers of Killing Eve, as well as World Productions’ The Diplomat, and second series of We Hunt Together and Traces, which performed well on BBC1 and iPlayer too.” – Richard Watsham, UKTV’s Director of Commissioning

UKTV has also announced programming coming soon such as French and Saunders: Funny Women, a brand new special for Gold which will see the much-loved duo celebrating the crucial and unforgettable contributions from women throughout the history of comedy, as well as Smother, an Irish investigative thriller starring Dervla Kirwan (The Stranger, Safe House) and Seána Kerslake (Hole in the Ground), and many more UKTV Originals and global acquisitions.

“On Dave, the successful arrival of Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable heralds a new wave of comedy entertainment shows in the coming months. These are joined by another helping of multi-RTS nominee, Big Zuu’s Big Eats, and on the scripted side there’s a new series of Samson Kayo’s Sliced.

“Coming soon to Gold is the latest evolution of Jason Cook’s high performing Murder on the Blackpool Express franchise, Murder, They Hope, starring Sian Gibson and Johnny Vegas. And these are just a few examples of what we have coming up. UKTV Originals are in rude health and well positioned to continue contributing to UKTV’s strong growth.” – Richard Watsham, UKTV’s Director of Commissioning

*Highest ever viewing share for UKTV’s current portfolio of channels – Dave, Gold, Drama, Alibi, Yesterday, W and Eden

** Highest ever Share of Commercial Impacts for UKTV’s current portfolio of channels