Channel 4 Records Highest Weekly Audience

Channel 4 recorded its highest share of the UK television audience last week. According to overnight BARB figures, it won 13.3% of total television viewing for the week ending Sunday 3 September.

The success of Big Brother has been pushing the channel’s ratings recently (see Big Brother Is Watching Audience Figures Go Up) and last week’s scheduling change to the earlier 10pm slot has helped it make the most of this summer’s viewing phenomenon. Wednesday’s episode acheived the highest ratings so far for the series, with an average of 6.3m tuning in.

Last week also saw the broadcast of England’s victory over the West Indies in the five match Test series; audiences peaked at 3.9m on Sunday as Mike Atherton reached his century. And Sunday’s premiere of Oscar-nominated Elizabeth rounded off the channel’s best week since its launch in 1982.

Other highlights included Friends, attracting 4.4m viewers on Friday night, and Ally McBeal, which was watched by 3.2m on Wednesday.

“This is a hugely satisfying result for Channel 4 in the face of so much competition for viewers’ attention,” said Channel 4’s director of programmes Tim Gardam. “It reflects credit on everyone who works at the channel and our suppliers and shows there is still a keen appetite for a mixed broadcast schedule catering to public demand for intelligent, interesting and innovative programming.”

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