- UKTV more than doubles views to its free streaming service U in just two years (+109% Jan 23 – Dec 24)
- In 2024, U grew direct to consumer views by 34%, active users by 21% and added over 2000 hours of new content
- UKTV also saw total viewer minutes to its VOD content across its free and pay platforms grow by 40%* in 2024, outstripping its competitors and resulting in UKTV having the fastest growing on demand presence in Britain
- In linear, UKTV’s Share of Commercial Impacts (SOCI) held strong at 8.79%
- The Marlow Murder Club, UKTV’s first original commission for U&DRAMA, was watched by 2.6m, making it the network’s highest rating show of 2024 and UKTV’s biggest launch in over 10 years
UKTV’s digital first strategy has delivered strong VOD growth following the BBC Studios-owned broadcaster’s decision to unite its channels and streaming service under new U masterbrand and to combine its previously separate linear and VOD divisions.
In 2024, UKTV saw views to its free streaming service U grow by over a third (34%) resulting in the service doubling direct to consumer viewing in just two years. 2024 also saw U’s active users increase by 21% and content on the service bolstered from 7000 hours to over 9000 hours. In addition, UKTV achieved record growth to its VOD content across its pay and free platforms, with total viewer minutes for individuals growing by 40%, outstripping its competitors and resulting in UKTV having the fastest growing on demand presence in Britain.
In linear, UKTV’s Share of Commercial Impacts (SOCI) held strong at 8.79%, with only a marginal 0.02pp drop from its record high of 8.81% in 2023, reflecting the ongoing challenges in linear TV.
"It is testament to the hard work of everyone here that in just two years we have doubled viewing to the U streaming service and achieved record viewing across all our VOD inventory."
Marcus Arthur, UKTV’s CEO, said: “2024 was a pivotal year in UKTV’s digital transformation, and it is testament to the hard work of everyone here that in just two years we have doubled viewing to the U streaming service and achieved record viewing across all our VOD inventory, outpacing the growth achieved by our competitors.
“UKTV continued to accelerate streaming growth throughout last year despite the continued backdrop of market pressures impacting broadcasters, streamers and content makers. While we haven’t been immune to the challenges facing the industry and the decline in linear TV viewing, we’ve driven VOD growth by unifying our VOD and linear businesses and by making smart investments in content, product and branding.
“As we enter 2025 and the world continues to grapple with uncertainty and volatility, the power of content to connect audiences and bring people together has never been more important. At UKTV we remain focused on working with our creative partners in the industry to deliver more powerful, entertaining and inspiring shows for our viewers.”
U streaming service
In addition to the U steaming service growing views and active users throughout 2024, adult viewing across all demographics also grew, with a notable 25% uplift in views for 35-54 year olds. Drama content performed particularly well with Whitstable Pearl, The Marlow Murder Club, The Chelsea Detective, Sister Boniface Mysteries and Darby & Joan responsible for the five highest rating episodes on U.
“In 2024 UKTV achieved record growth across all of our VOD output, with BARB data revealing that we grew viewing minutes to content on U along with VOD content on pay platforms faster than any other UK competitor."
Andrea Amey, Chief Digital Officer at UKTV, commented: “We’ve achieved this by rebuilding the U app, adding improvements to user experience, app stability, sustainability and content discovery. In 2024 we also expanded U’s footprint by launching on Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Freely devices and we added over 2000 hours of content to the service.
“As we remain focused on driving growth in 2025, we will continue to look at our product and content offering, including the ongoing roll out of new content personalisation across all devices by the end of Q1 and adding FAST channels to the service later in the year.”
The full rebuild and rollout of the U app was accompanied by the expansion of content genres on U, most notably true crime with over 500 hours joining the U catalogue. U also added more US box sets to its growing catalogue with the likes of Sons of Anarchy, Brothers and Sisters and Prison Break, plus it bolstered its crime drama offering with shows such as Recipes For Love And Murder, Cardinal and Blackshore.
UKTV’s FAST channels U&LAUGHS, U&Transport, U&Real Heroes and U&The Past, offering curated access to some of UKTV’s most loved shows, enjoyed a successful year across platforms Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Virgin Media TV. Summer was a particularly strong period with viewing almost doubling during the hot months, topped only by an exceptional December.
U&Originals
U&Original content performed particularly strongly for UKTV in 2024.The Marlow Murder Club became the broadcaster’s best performing show of the year watched by 2.6m, making it UKTV’s biggest programme launch in over 10 years.The crime drama also marked UKTV’s first original commission for its U&DRAMA channel with an extended 6x60’ second series due to air in March.
Originations topped the ratings charts across UKTV’s six commissioning channels: The Red King (U&alibi), Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out (U&GOLD), Will & Ralf Should Know Better (U&Dave), The Marlow Murder Club (U&DRAMA), Inside The Ambulance (U&W), and Bangers & Cash (U&YESTERDAY).
“UKTV’s Originals are continuing to punch above their weight in terms of quality and impact and it’s gratifying to see this is true across all our key genres."
Richard Watsham, UKTV’s Chief Creative Officer, said: “We’ve invested shrewdly and worked collaboratively with partners to fund shows at a range of price points. U&Original drama content has performed particularly strongly with The Marlow Murder Club and The Red King enjoying significant ratings success.
“With UKTV’s largest ever slate of original dramas set to air, including the reimagining of Bergerac, crime drama I, Jack Wright, Mark Gatiss’ period crime Bookish and the highly anticipated story of the Mitford sisters, Outrageous, 2025 will be a big year for us.”
UKTV also celebrated success with its factual and fact ent shows in 2024. Will & Ralf Should Know Better wasU&Dave’s top performing show, and originations such as Katherine Ryan: Parental Guidance and Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over helped propel U&W to its Best Entertainment Channel win at the Broadcast Digital Awards. In addition, Jamali Maddix: Follow the Leader, has been nominated for Best Multichannel Programme at the upcoming Broadcast Awards.
In further news, originations Apocalypse Slough: A Murder They Hope Mystery and Bottom: Exposed joined Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out to round out the top three highest rating shows on U&GOLD last year, and originations were also responsible for the top three most watched shows on U&Dave with World’s Most Dangerous Roads and Meet The Richardsons just behind Will & Ralf Should Know Better. Original content also reigned supreme on U&YESTERDAY and was responsible for the top seven shows – Bangers & Cash, Canal Boat Diaries, Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics, Secrets of the London Underground, Find It, Fix It, Flog It, Abandoned Engineering and Dream Car Fixers.
UKTV’s rich mix of content bringing together the best of the BBC, premiere acquisitions and UKTV’s own originations, also attracted younger viewers to the network, with U&W (+15%), U&GOLD (+2%) and U&DRAMA (+2%) all increasing 16-34 share.
Coming up in 2025
In addition to UKTV’s biggest ever drama slate, the broadcaster has a wealth of comedy entertainment, factual and factual entertainment shows debuting on the network throughout 2025, including brand new entertainment show Silence Is Golden hosted by Dermot O’Leary, new episodes of Dave Gorman: Modern Life is Goodish, factual entertainment series Neil and Martin’s Bon Voyage, and Katie Piper: Locked Up In Louisiana.
END
Stats
All SOCI Data is BARB Adults 16+, 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2024.
*Fastest growing on demand presence based on total viewer minutes to UKTV's VOD content across pay and free based on individuals 4+ - BARB.
Top 10 programme list for the network – Top Programme lists are 4+, 28 day (TV and Online Pre-Broadcast and 1-28 Day), top performing episode (ran 09.01.25 – final days of December not fully consolidated).
Programme stats are Total Consumption series average - This encompasses the overnight, PVR, VOD (D2C and paid) and all same week repeats, within 28 days of transmission within BARB (inclusive of any preview windowing via box-set drops).
Images and an infographic (portrait and landscape versions) highlighting the key stats to illustrate the release can be found here.
For more information please contact:
Kerry Goode, Director of Communications, UKTV
Yvette Dore, Corporate Communications Manager, UKTV
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands – U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W, U&YESTERDAY, U&GOLD, U&alibi and U&eden - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to UK viewers through free streaming service U, Sky, Virgin Media, NOW, Freeview, Freely and Freesat; and to Irish viewers through Sky, Virgin Media, Eir, Vodafone and NOW. Channel & content availability varies by platform. UKTV’s content is also available to UK viewers via dedicated FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee, Pluto TV and Virgin Media. UKTV is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers. The broadcaster is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.