ITV Claims Loyal Viewers

ITV is claiming that its viewers remained loyal to the special schedule it produced during the Olympic Games.

According to its research, ITV increased its lead over BBC1 during peaktime for both weeks compared with the spring/summer average. In the second week initial data indicates a strengthening of ITV’s peaktime lead to 8 share points over BBC1, with ITV’s share around 40% compared with BBC1’s 32%.

ITV Network director Marcus Plantin said today: “Our decision to put together a special peaktime schedule of programmes as an antidote to blanket sport proved extremely successful. Peak time viewing is the most important to any network, and we have performed particularly well during that period.”

The performance reached a high with a special edition of The Bill being scheduled against the fourth episode of EastEnders on Friday 2 August. The EastEnders audience was reduced to less than 9 million from its usual 14 million.

BBC1’s live Olympic coverage appears to have made big inroads on BBC2’s audiences, which dropped by 8%. Satellite audiences are known to be major viewers of sport and as a result satellite viewing was also heavily hit during the Olympics.

As reported in yesterday’s Olympics Gives Boost To Total TV Audience, the BBC attracted new viewers during off-peak hours and this bolstered BBC1’s overall performance.

ITV: 0171 843 8000