Digital TV News

Smart TVs fuel record viewing figures on BBC iPlayer

Wednesday 18 January, 2012

By Anthony Hill

Programmes were streamed almost two billion times last year.

The growing popularity of internet-connected TVs helped BBC iPlayer reach more homes than ever in 2011. During the past year, the BBC’s catch-up service has streamed TV and radio programmes more than 1.9 billion times.

While computers are still the most common platform for iPlayer viewing, December brought a huge spike in usage through connected TVs.

This includes internet TV platforms like BT Vision, connected smart TVs and connected set-top boxes, such as Freeview HD or Freesat HD and some Blu-ray players.

In December alone, around seven million programmes were requested on connected TV sets - a year-on-year increase of over 1,000% - helping BBC iPlayer reach a record-breaking 187 million views in a single month.

Daniel Danker, the BBC’s general manager for programmes and on-demand, said: “While 2011 was a remarkable year for BBC iPlayer across the board, the real story was growth of iPlayer on TVs. We see huge potential for BBC iPlayer on the living room set in 2012 - the natural home for great TV - as audiences switch on to the benefits of connected TV.”

The figures also reveal the catch-up service’s top 20 programmes over the Christmas and New Year period, with the Top Gear Indian Special proving the most popular show, watched 1.7 million times online.

Strong performances were also seen for Michael McIntyre’s Christmas Comedy Roadshow and the Christmas Day episode of EastEnders. At the time it was broadcast, the soap opera had more than 10 million viewers, making it the most-watched TV show of Christmas 2011.