Television Viewing Round-Up – February 2005
Both the BBC and ITV saw their weekly share of viewing slip in all homes during February, with ITV losing 2.6% points year on year to push its viewing share down to 22.25%. BBC1 fared better, but still saw its share dip by 0.6% over the same period, pushing its total to 23.7%.
BBC2 fared less well than its larger sibling station, losing 1.2% points from its share year on year to settle at 9.5%. The dip helped Channel 4 to rise above BBC2 in terms of average weekly share, adding 0.1% in the same period to climb to 9.65%.
The broadcaster recently unveiled its spring schedule, announcing several new drama series, as well as one-off programmes, and a range of new comedy commissions to help fill the gap left by American heavyweights such as Friends, Frasier and Sex and the City (see Channel 4 Bets On Drama For Spring Schedule).
The broadcaster’s new line up, which constitutes its highest ever programme budget, will go head to head with BBC2 over the coming months, as the Corporation’s smaller terrestrial station prepares to wheel out its own spring line up, featuring high-profile commissions such as Extras, the much-anticipated new comedy from Office creator, Ricky Gervais (see BBC Banks On Comedy For Spring Schedule).
Elsewhere, Five saw its weekly viewing share dip by 0.1% points to 6.6%, while other channels added 4.5% to their share over the same period, accounting for a weekly viewing share in all homes of 28.3%.
ITV’s viewing share in digital homes was also down in February, with the broadcaster’s average weekly viewing share falling by 2%. The BBC, on the other hand, managed to avoid decline, increasing BBC1’s share by 1.3% in the same period, while BBC2 fought off negative growth with a 0.1% increase.
Channel 4 also performed well, adding 1% year on year to its weekly share to push the total average to 7.6%. The broadcaster recently confirmed that More4, it’s newest digital documentaries and factual entertainment channel, would launch in October (see Channel 4 Sets Autumn Date For More4 Launch).
Meanwhile, Channel 4 is locked in a heated battle with ITV for control of Crown Castle’s last remaining broadcast slot on the Freeview platform, with a decision on the winning bidder expected within weeks and broadcasts scheduled to start as early as 1 April (see ITV To Face Channel 4 Over Empty Freeview Slot).
Other channels saw their share of weekly viewing dip slightly in February, losing 1% points year on year. The channels now command 41.7% of weekly viewing in all digital homes, down from 42.7% in February 2004.
Freeview continued to provide greater viewing shares for the nation’s terrestrial broadcasters in February compared to Sky, owing mainly to the platform’s smaller number of channels. BBC1 notched up Freeview’s highest viewing share at 25.2%, compared to 17.3% via Sky.
ITV1 was the second most watched broadcaster via digital terrestrial in February, with an average weekly share of 22.1%. Recent reports suggest that the broadcaster is gearing up to extend its offering to digital customers, replacing the Granada Men and Motors channel on Sky with a new offering aimed at men, believed to be the long-rumoured ITV4. A launch of the new channel via Freeview is also rumoured to be in preparation, with the possibility of a terrestrial launch as early as next month (see ITV To Replace Men And Motors With ITV4).
Other channels continued to flourish on Sky, accounting for 50.4% of viewing on the satellite system, compared with 22.5% via Freeview.
BARB: www.barb.co.uk
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