Smithsonian Channel sees record ratings
October 16, 2020
Smithsonian Channel has announced record ratings for Q3 in the UK, and two new co-productions
Following its UK launch in February 2019 on Sky, Virgin, Freeview and Freesat, the Channel has established itself as a key player in the documentary and factual entertainment genres, delivering steady month-to-month growth and attracting leading production companies, on-screen talent and broadcast partners for original commissions and co-productions.
In the UK, Smithsonian Channel has led the overnights for the third quarter (in Live plus VOSDAL) against its closest competitors, and outperformed them in all day overnight ratings in both August and September. Similarly, in primetime overnights, the Channel once again outperformed its closest competitors by an even larger margin.
Smithsonian Channel says this has been achieved with a potent schedule containing wide ranging titles from military history, to wildlife, to Tudor England. Notable premieres for the quarter from UK production companies were; Henry VIII and the King’s Men which debuted to over 90,000 overnight viewers (Live plus VOSDAL), Private Lives of the Windsors: The Queen Mother which garnered 68,000 viewers (Live plus VOSDAL), and natural history documentary Into the Wild Tibet which grabbed nearly 56,000 viewers in its premiere transmission (Live plus VOSDAL).
David Royle, Executive Vice President & Chief Programming Officer, Smithsonian Channel, said: “UK viewing figures have surpassed our expectations, but not our ambitions. We believe this is just the beginning. We’re living at a time when audiences crave quality factual programming that they can trust, and our emphasis on quality and accuracy is punching through the media clutter. We couldn’t do it without the support of world-class producers and on-screen talent, both in the UK and abroad, and we are thrilled to be announcing two new co-productions with Hugh Bonneville and Gregg Wallace.”