UKTV enjoys best ever year-on-year growth

UKTV

20 May 2014

Multi-award winning broadcaster, UKTV, today announced it delivered a 22% increase in adult impacts in April, driving its greatest ever monthly year-on-year SOCI growth.

Whilst the rest of the market declined by 3%, UKTV's share of commercial impacts increased to 9.37%*, up from 7.44% in April 2013.

The growth was propelled by a strong performance year-on-year for April 2014 versus 2013 from UKTV's pay entertainment channels, with Alibi up 25%, Gold up 3%, Watch up 11% and Really up 32%, as well as new channel Drama, which accrued a best-since-launch share of commercial impacts of 1.39%.

Standout programmes that have contributed to the network's success include Watch acquisitions such as Grimm, which peaked at 691k** (231% up on slot) and brand new US drama Believe, which achieved 588k (208% up). Also driving growth are Dave's hugely popular Storage Hunters, watched by 579k (17% up), Alibi's Castle which peaked at 521k (91% up) and Really's paranormal favourite Ghost Adventures was watched by 251k (58% up).

UKTV recently reported the strongest Easter Bank holiday weekend in the network's 21 year history, with share of viewing up 21% year-on-year, growing from 5.32% in 2013 to 6.45%.

The network's VOD services are also achieving record-breaking growth, with total views up 586% year-on-year due to the expansion of the network's services.

Source: DDS April 2014 vs. April 2013 *Source: BARB, Adults, full consolidation

END

For more information, please contact:

Lara Feinstein, Network Communications Coordinator

About UKTV

UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that reaches over 42 million viewers per month.

UKTV's ten imaginative channel brands - Watch, Dave, Gold, Alibi, Eden, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home and Good Food - include the most watched non-PSB channel, the most watched channel in the Factual genre and the most watched channels in the Lifestyle genre (Pay and Free). The company's most recent financial results showed a record-breaking year-end revenue of £262m, and operating profit at £71m.

UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC and Channel 4 content, and embracing technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT TV, TalkTalk, YouView, plus direct On Demand digital services. The network distributes its highly valued programmes to 200 territories around the world and supplies Sky with more hours of HD content than anyone else.

Now celebrating its 21st year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.

corporate.uktv.co.uk / pressoffice.uktv.co.uk / @uktv_press