In a surprising turn of events, Netflix’s audience reach in the UK overtook that of BBC1 for three months in 2024. According to BARB, the UK’s official ratings body, Netflix’s average audience reach was 43.2 million in September, October, and November, compared to BBC1’s 42.3 million. However, BBC1 regained its lead in December with 48.4 million viewers, while Netflix hit a record of 46.4 million. Despite this, Netflix has been consistently ahead of ITV1 since March 2023, except for a brief period during Euro 2024. Audience reach measures viewers who watched for at least three consecutive minutes in a month. While Netflix’s growth has been steady, traditional broadcasters like BBC1 and ITV1 are experiencing declines in linear TV viewership. The BBC argues that comparing a single channel to an entire streaming service is unfair, as their digital platforms like iPlayer are growing rapidly. In December, the BBC’s total portfolio reach was 52.7 million, significantly higher than Netflix’s 46.4 million.
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