Digital Television Round-Up – November 2004
All five terrestrial TV channels failed to achieve growth in weekly viewing share during November, with only Five staving off a decline and managing to retain its 6.6% share.
BBC Two was the hardest hit by November’s declines, losing 1.5% points to achieve a total viewing share of 9.6%. BBC One fared better, but also struggled against the downturn to lose 1.1% points year on year. The Corporation’s flagship entertainment channel achieved a share of 23.9% in November as it unveiled a programme of blockbuster family movies for Christmas, designed to secure bumper festive audiences over principal rival ITV1 (see BBC Brings Out Big Guns For Christmas Ratings War).
ITV suffered similarly during November, but escaped the level of decline experienced by the BBC, shedding a comparitavely minor 0.4% points. ITV1 notched up a total share of 23.6% in all households during November, despite criticism that the broadcaster was neglecting quality programming in favour of generating increased revenues (see Dyke Blasts ITV Over Poor Programmes And Rising Profit).
Elsewhere Channel 4 saw its viewing share decline by 0.5% points year on year to 9.25%. The broadcaster recently submitted its response to Ofcom’s Review of Public Service Television Broadcasting, asking the watchdog to provide partial public funding to ensure its continued existence in a digital-only television environment (see Channel 4 Outlines Public Funding Proposals To Ofcom).
The declines in terrestrial viewing share are in line with predictions made by Ofcom earlier this month. According to the media super-regulator terrestrial broadcasters will face an increasingly tough battle for viewing share and, amongst commercial broadcasters, advertising revenue, as multi-channel competitors become more successful. The watchdog claims that terrestrial commercial broadcasters will find it hard to expand much further on current revenues in a digital-only broadcasting age (see Multi-Channel TV To Claim Larger Share Of Ad Revenue).
The situation was similarly bleak in digital homes during November, although BBC One managed to retain its viewing share of 18.6%, while BBC Two lost 0.6% points to 6.35%.
Only ITV1 and Five managed to increase their viewing share during November, adding 0.1% points and 0.4% points to 19.75% and 5.13% respectively. November saw ITV launch its third entertainment channel, ITV3, aimed at older viewers and putting in an initially strong performance. According to ITV’s figures, the channel got off to a strong start, notching up an impressive share of viewing and outperforming rivals in terms of viewing (see Figures Show ITV3 Getting Off To Flying Start)
The broadcaster recently outlined plans to boost interactive advertising revenue, claiming that it will increase its quota by demonstrating the medium’s power to clients with mocked-up campaigns, rather than simply explaining its benefits (see ITV To Boost Interactive Advertising Quota). The move follows an increased focus by the BBC on interactive programme elements, hoping to attract digital viewers with extra content (see Interactive Olympics Draws Millions To BBC).
Britain’s terrestrial broadcasters continued to see more success in Freeview homes than in Sky households, with the lack of choice available to Freeview homes driving a higher concentration of viewers to the platform’s principal broadcasters.
ITV1 overtook the BBC as the best performing terrestrial broadcaster on both Sky during November, notching up a 18.55% share compared to the BBC1’s 16.83%. The broadcaster was less fortunate in Freeview homes, however, but was hot on BBC1’s heels with a viewing share of 22.6% compared with BBC1’s 25.45%.
Other channels continued to dominate the viewing habits of Sky Digital customers, with a share of 50.48%, while their share amongst Freeview homes was just 22.95% due to the lack of multi-channel operators on the platform.