Big Brother Bigger Than Ever For C4 And E4
Channel 4 is reporting continued success for the third series of Big Brother, with ratings, according to BARB unofficial overnights continuing to outshine last year’s, despite competition for viewer’s attention this week from the Jubilee and World Cup.
Average ratings for the reality show on Channel 4 during the week from 3-9 June were 4.3 million, with a 21% share of available audience. This represents a 12% increase on the same period last year.
The second eviction show at 8.30pm on 7 June managed an audience of 4.3 million, or 19% share, while 5 million, or a 25% share tuned in to see Alison leave the house at 10pm. Compared to the first eviction in last year’s series, this was a 23% increase for the first show and a 10% increase for the later one.
The week also saw the introduction of a new twist in the format, as the house was divided with glass bars into a “rich” and a “poor” side, with the poor side inhabited by those who fail the weekly task. With press speculation about this happening having been confirmed in the days beforehand, the live task show on Saturday 8 June managed an audience of 4.2 million and a share of 21%.
The housemates were told of the rich/poor divide, but did not know about the physical division until they were let out of the bedrooms they had been confined to later that evening. As a result, an average 2.5 million viewers watched the live streaming at 11.30pm, peaking at 3.3 million at midnight, as people tuned in to see the housemates reaction as they were let out to see the new set-up.
The highest rated non-eviction show since the first series occurred on Wednesday night, when 5.5 million viewers, or a 27% share tuned in to the daily update at 10pm. This peaked at 6.4 million, a 32% share. The show is also succeeding in its job of attracting the 16-34 year old demographic. This age group made up 38% of audiences last week, up from 36% last year.
Channel 4’s digital entertainment channel, E4, has also benefited from the Big Brother effect. The average share for the channel, which shows a live feed through the night (see Big Brother Set For Blanket Coverage), was 5.1% among individuals last week, making it the biggest non-terrestrial channel in multi-channel homes. This peaked on Thursday at 7.2%, the channel’s highest share ever. Big Brother’s Little Brother is also doing well, seeing a 75% year on year increase in audience size, and viewing of the live feed is also proving more popular than last year.
Channel Four: 020 7396 4444 www.channel4.com
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