Channel 4’s debut episode of The Great British Bake Off drew in an average audience of 5.8 million on Wednesday (29 August) and a 27% share, according to BARB overnight figures.
At its peak, the now Mary Berry-less show attracted 6.8 million viewers. By comparison the debut episode of the final BBC One series pulled in an average audience of 10.4 million. However, the show picked up extra 732,000 viewers, on average, on the Channel 4 +1 channel, peaking at 878,000.
In full, both the main channel and the +1 channel secured an average audience of 6.5m, and 7.7m at its peak.
Tuesday night’s programme – presented by Bake Off veteran Paul Hollywood alongside new hosts Prue Leith, Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding – included more than 15 minutes of adverts and ran for 75 minutes in total.
The average peak-time price for a 30-second slot on Channel 4 is around £100,000; however, the broadcaster is charging between £150,000 and £200,000 to advertise within the 8-9.15pm Bake Off window.
Jay Hunt, Channel 4’s chief creative officer said: “The Great British Bake Off’s audience last night proves it’s still one of the country’s favourite shows.
“I am delighted millions watched the new team put 12 magnificent bakers through their paces. It’s the largest share of young audiences we’ve had for a show for over a decade.”
