The latest BARB data on digital viewing shows that in all homes, viewing share of non-terrestrial channels continues to increase as the penetration of non-analogue services also grows. The year on year growth in viewing share for Other channels during September was over 4 percentage points, with the average share reaching just over 20%.
The subsequent drops in share among the terrestrial channels were mainly concentrated in the two largest. BBC 1 fell from 29.6% to 27.75% year on year, while ITV was down from a 27.4% average in September 2000 to 25.4%. Channel 5 was the only channel to see an increase, growing its average share in all homes from just over 5.5% in 2000 to almost 6% by September this year, as it continues gain strength and credibility under Dawn Airey’s leadership.
In digital homes, share of viewing remained more or less unchanged year on year, with Other channels maintaining an average just above 45% and the two main terrestrial channels sticking around the 20% mark. However, Channel 4 saw its average weekly share of viewing fall from 6.25% to 5.75%, while Channel 5 grew its 2.95% average to 3.73%.
ITV’s continuing failure to arrange carriage for its flagship ITV1 on the Sky Digital platform does not appear to be affecting its performance in Sky Digital homes. There is little or nothing to choose between the share achieved by the two main terrestrial channels in Sky and ITV Digital homes: BBC 1 achieved a 20.2% share in both Sky Digital and ITV Digital homes, while ITV1 achieved an 18.8% share in Sky Digital homes and an 18.7% share in ITV Digital homes.
Channel 5 appeared to benefit more in ITV Digital homes, its share there reaching an average 4.9% as oppose to 3.3% in Sky Digital homes. Non-terrestrial channels, in contrast, do better in Sky Digital homes, with an average 46% share, compared to a 44.3% share in ITV Digital homes, perhaps due to the strength of the Sky branded channels.
Subscribers can access the Television database by selecting “Television” from the drop-down box at the top of this page.
