Digital Viewing Round-Up – October 2001

Analysis of the latest BARB data on digital TV viewing shows some dramatic year on year changes among the main contenders for viewing share.

In all homes, non-terrestrial channels increased their share of viewing during October. BBC1 has also found itself in a stronger position during October, rising from a 26.5% average share of viewing to a 28% share in a year on year analysis. Meanwhile, ITV1’s increasing problems in attracting bulk audiences shows, as its share has dropped from just under 30% to just under 25%.

In digital-only homes, while non-terrestrial channels still take the largest share of viewing between them, year on year they lost out slightly to the terrestrial channels. Both the BBC channels have seen improved share in digital homes, while ITV1 slipped slightly further below the 20% mark. Channel 4 remained more or less static, but Channel 5 saw reasonable growth, from a 3.3% share last year to a 4% share this year.

Despite its continuing failure to secure carriage on the Sky Digital platform, ITV’s share of viewing in Sky Digital homes is exactly the same as in ITV Digital homes. BBC1 fares slightly better on the ITV Digital platform, pushing further over the 20% mark. This month’s figures suggest that other channels command significantly more viewing on the Sky platform, where their share of viewing is 45.9%, compared to 42% in homes with the ITV Digital platform.

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