Digital Television Round-Up – July 2004
Channel 4 saw its average share of weekly viewing in all homes inch up by 0.6% points year on year during July to just under the 9.8% mark as the latest instalment of Big Brother continued to deliver an audience of die hard reality-TV fans.
This year’s Big Brother has been the most successful so far with viewers staying glued to their screens for a constant stream of controversy and surprise. Ratings for this year’s reality-TV extravaganza averaged around 5 million per show, with more than 9 million viewers tuning in to the series finalé (see Big Brother Finalé Attracts Record 9 Million Viewers).
Analysis of viewing figures from BARB shows that ITV1 had a slightly less successful month with its average share of weekly viewing dipping by 0.7% points during the same period to just below the 17% mark. The UK’s largest broadcaster has recently been forced to drop reality-TV flop The Block from its peak-time slot amid fears that a dip in viewing could force it to pay as much as £100 million in compensation to advertisers (see ITV Drops Peak-Time Shows To Avoid Viewing Slump).
Channel Five suffered a 0.3% points year on year decline in June to just below 5% and BBC One dipped by 0.6% points during the same period to 19.7%. BBC Two was not immune to the downturn with its average share of weekly viewing dipping by 0.1% points year on year to 7.6%.
Channel 4 also performed well in digital homes with its average share of weekly viewing rising by a solid 1.1% points year on year during June just over the 8% mark. ITV1 dipped by 0.2% points during the same period to 13.5% and Five saw its share hold firm at 3.6% in year on year analysis.
Other channels saw their average share of weekly viewing in digital homes dip by 1.8% points during June to 34.4%. However, multi-channel broadcasters will receive a boost later this year when ITV3, the new digital channel for older viewers, launches in November as a free-to-air offering showcasing Hollywood movies and classic dramas (see ITV3 To Launch As Free-To-Air Offering In November).
The five main terrestrial channels continued to perform better in Freeview homes than in Sky Digital homes due to the lack of rivalry from the likes of Sky One and E4. BBC One commanded the highest average share of weekly viewing with just over 22%, followed by ITV with almost 17.3%.
Once again, the wider variety available via Sky Digital helped Other Channels to command a 41% share of average weekly viewing in satellite homes, compared to just under 15% in Freeview homes. However, the digital satellite service looks set to see its channel offering expand in the coming months with a raft of new offerings from Channel 4 (see Channel 4 Planning Raft Of Digital Channels).
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