UKTV is fastest-growing network in Britain, increasing its ad impacts by 7.6% year-on-year
Sharp, 50% increase in views to on demand service, UKTV Play since June product redesign
Since 2010, UKTV has grown adult impacts 48%, while broadcast has grown 6%
Monday 1 August 2016 The UKs biggest multichannel broadcaster, UKTV, is outpacing the British broadcast market, as the first half (H1) of 2016 delivered record-breaking share of commercial impacts (SOCI); with audience share and on demand views also showing significant growth.
Reaching an all-time high, UKTVs consolidated SOCI, averaged at 9.74% for H1 2016. The broadcaster grew its ad impacts 7.6% year-on-year, while the market grew by only 2.7%. And for the first time, the UKTV network achieved 10% SOCI for a full quarter for Q2.
Since 2010, UKTV has grown adult impacts by 48%. Over the same period, broadcast has grown by 6% .
Darren Childs, Chief Executive of UKTV said,
Our investment in bold, original programmes for our vibrant channel brands continues to chime with audiences - from Dynamo: Live at the 02 to The Comic Strip Presents... to the David Haye fights and Taskmaster - the year so far has been outstanding, and the best is yet to come. Our share of commercial impacts continues to grow so we can better serve British viewers and advertisers in this competitive market.
Audience share, inclusive of non-commercial television, has also hit new levels, with the first half of the year up 7.6% vs. the first half of 2015 . The network peaked with a record 7.64% overnight daily share on Easter Sunday.
UKTV on demand, in demand UKTVs VOD services are also enjoying growth, up 12% year-on-year for H1, boosted by roll out on new devices and platforms, and increased library shows and boxsets. The broadcasters award-nominated TV streaming service, UKTV Play, has enjoyed an 84% increase in views year-on-year, and the app passed one million downloads. Since UKTV Plays product redesign and nationwide #LoveYourThing campaign launched in June, there has been a 50% increase in visits to the UKTV Play website.
Thriving channel brands and UKTV Originals W launched in February, and has grown across several metrics versus Watch. Its average viewership has increased 4% year-on-year , while average monthly reach increased by 8% , and viewership amongst the target young, female audience is up by 15%. The channel has a slate of exclusive programming for the second half of 2016, including UKTV Originals John Bishop in Conversation with... and Amanda Holdens Ive Got Something to Tell You.
The UKs most watched non-PSB channel Dave moved into live sports for the first time in 2016, securing the exclusive, live rights to the David Haye comeback fight at the O2 arena, which brought in a record-breaking peak audience of 3.2m viewers. Taskmaster was up 45% series-on-series in July, with the second episode delivering the highest performance of the run with 768k viewers, consolidated. The new series, Alan Davies As Yet Untitled was also up 19% on slot. As a whole, Dave increased viewership by 2% in peak across the year, whilst also winning Entertainment Channel of the Year at the coveted Broadcast Digital Awards.
UKTV continues to push boundaries with its ambitious commissioning strategy for Dave; last week it announced satirical politics talk show, Unspun with Matt Forde.
Gold has enjoyed a tremendous year so far, with viewing share up 8.2% compared to H1 of 2015. The channel has also kicked off Q3 well, with Simon Callow-fronted scripted comedy commission, The Rebel, which premiered to 308k viewers, up 126% on slot.
Drama is the number two non-PSB channel (behind Dave), and one of the fastest-growing channels in the UK, up 32% year-on-year. The channel recently acquired the rights to The Red Tent, a four-part mini-series with Minnie Driver.
UKTVs strategy of moving Home from subscription-only to free-to-air has also paid off, with the channel increasing its audience 167% year-on-year. And Really is delivering great numbers for the network. Junes Serial Killer Season provided a boost, with the fortnight-long season helping the channel achieve its best ever weekday peak share (0.94%).
The news follows the broadcasters annual results, released in April, which reported record revenues, EBITDA, profit and investment in programming and related launches for 2015. UKTV continues to commission more brand new formats, across more genres, than ever before, including live entertainment and sports, scripted comedy, talk shows, authored documentaries, fixed rig and ob docs.
*Source: BARB all share data 16 , Live VOSDAL, all homes (unless otherwise stated). All programme data 4 , Live VOSDAL, all homes (unless otherwise stated).
END
For more information contact:
Lara Feinstein, Network Communications Executive
About UKTV UKTV is the biggest multichannel broadcaster in the UK.
The award-winning independent has eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food. These include the two most popular non-PSB channels in the UK and account for 9.31% of the British commercial TV market. The companys most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £319m and EBITDA of £82m. It invested £148m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity. UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat, Amazon Fire and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.
UKTV is an independent commercial joint venture betw
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UKTV is fastest-growing network in Britain, increasing its ad impacts by 7.6% year-on-year 
