The broadcaster says it’s the only broadcaster to grow overall viewing across both streaming and linear so far this year.
- Channel 4 streaming audience grows 32% year-on-year
- Gogglebox most popular Channel 4 show.
BARB data for January to June reveals the channel is successfully growing its overall audience while migrating viewers to streaming.
The figures show Channel 4 streaming has grown by 7.3 billion viewer minutes so far in 2024 (up 32% year on year), contributing to a 4 billion increase in overall viewing minutes across linear and streaming and a record high of 164 billion viewer minutes. That represents a 2.5% year-on-year increase, while BARB data shows major commercial broadcasters on average posted a 3% year on year drop in overall viewing minutes.
What are viewers streaming on Channel 4?
Driving the streaming growth are a raft of hits, with these shows attracting more than three million average views across streaming and linear combined:
- Gogglebox (4.8 million),
- 24 Hours In Police Custody (4.5 million),
- The Push: Murder On The Cliff (3.5 million)
- To Catch a Copper (3.2 million).
- Additionally, streaming is fast becoming the go-to for Channel 4 viewers – with more than a dozen hits in 2024 attracting a bigger streaming audience compared with linear, including The Jury: Murder Trial which attracted a consolidated 28 day audience of 2.2 millon streaming views versus 1.1 million linear overnights.
Reality hit Dance Moms was the third most streamed programme on Channel 4, with 31% of viewing having come from 16-34s.
The release of full-length episodes of Channel 4 programming via YouTube is a further growth area. Across 2024 so far, such content generated 42.1 million UK Views, up 276% year on year. This highlights progress made against Channel 4’s Fast Forward strategy by Channel 4’s in-house social unit, 4Studio, which is committed to a doubling of all social views by 2030.
As previously reported, Channel 4 will make full coverage of the Paralympics available on YouTube.
In the coming years, Channel 4 will close more of its current linear broadcast channels in favour of streaming-only services. Next week, it’s closing its music channels on Sky and Virgin Media.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: C4