iPlayer sets new viewing record over Xmas
January 4, 2024
Viewers flocked to BBC iPlayer during the Christmas week (December 25th-31st 2023) setting a new all-time iPlayer record. The week saw programmes streamed 177 million times, up +7 per cent on the same time the year before – and beating the previous record (January 2nd-8th 2023) when 173 million programmes were streamed in a week.
More broadly, throughout the ‘festive fortnight’ (December 19th 2023 – January 1st 2024), the dramatic reveal of EastEnders ‘The Six’ storyline on Christmas Day topped the chart as the most popular episode on iPlayer (2.96 million) – followed by the climax to the second series of Vigil (2.19 million), Rick Astley bringing in the New Year (2.02 million)- and Call the Midwife (2.01 million) and Doctor Who’s Christmas specials (1.79 million).
EastEnders was also the top title on iPlayer (26.28 million streams) for the ‘festive fortnight’. Vigil (10.96 million), Doctor Who (from 2005 onwards) (10.01 million), Mrs Brown’s Boys (4.64 million), Death in Paradise (3.98 million), Gavin & Stacey (3.96 million), Call the Midwife (3.85 million) and Ghosts (3.82 million) also made the top ten – along with children’s favourites Bluey (10.42 million) and Hey Duggee (10.12 million).
The BBC also revealed:
- New Year’s Day had its best day (during a ‘festive fortnight’) ever – with programmes streamed a record 29.8 million times on iPlayer
- Christmas week saw 16.5 million BBC accounts signed into to watch programmes on BBC iPlayer – up +5 per cent on the same time the year before
- 4.9 million of those accounts were from people under 35 – up +7 per cent on last year, making it the best week ever seen within a ‘festive fortnight’ as well as being the highest week of 2023
Dan McGolpin, Director of BBC iPlayer and Channels, commented: “It’s wonderful to see that viewers came to BBC iPlayer in record numbers over the festive period. Nowhere else would they have found the same range of high-quality British programming to keep them gripped, make them laugh or to provide companionship and news at that special time. And with a whole host of compelling drama, comedy, factual programming, entertainment and sport landing on iPlayer in 2024, viewers can look forward to a great year ahead.”
The top 20 episodes per series throughout the ‘festive fortnight’ on BBC iPlayer:
| Episode name |
Streams (millions) |
|
|
1 |
EastEnders – 25/12/2023 |
2.96 |
|
2 |
Vigil – Series 2 – Episode 6 |
2.19 |
|
3 |
Rick Astley Rocks New Year’s Eve – Part 1 |
2.02 |
|
4 |
Call the Midwife – Christmas Special 2023 |
2.01 |
|
5 |
Doctor Who 2023 Christmas Special: The Church on Ruby Road |
1.79 |
|
6 |
Murder Is Easy – Series 1 – Episode 1 |
1.52 |
|
7 |
Death in Paradise – Christmas Special 2023 |
1.45 |
|
8 |
Match of the Day – 23/12/2023 |
1.36 |
|
9 |
Mrs Brown’s Boys – 2023 Specials – Mammy’s Mare |
1.34 |
|
10 |
Strictly Come Dancing – Series 21 – Christmas Special |
1.16 |
|
11 |
Tabby McTat – The Animated Adventure |
1.15 |
|
12 |
Beyond Paradise – Christmas Special |
1.12 |
|
13 |
Ghosts – A Christmas Gift |
1.11 |
|
14 |
New Year’s Eve Fireworks – 2023/2024 |
1.01 |
|
15 |
The King – 2023 |
0.88 |
|
16 |
Charles III: The Coronation Year |
0.87 |
|
17 |
Toy Story 4 |
0.76 |
|
18 |
Not Going Out – Wilfred |
0.76 |
|
19 |
Jools’ Annual Hootenanny – 2023/24 |
0.74 |
|
20 |
The Graham Norton Show – Series 31 – New Year’s Eve Show |
0.73 |
The top 20 programme brands throughout the ‘festive fortnight’ on BBC iPlayer:
| Programme | Streams (millions) | |
|
1 |
EastEnders |
26.28 |
|
2 |
Vigil |
10.96 |
|
3 |
Bluey |
10.42 |
|
4 |
Hey Duggee |
10.12 |
|
5 |
Doctor Who (2005+) |
10.01 |
|
6 |
Mrs Brown’s Boys |
4.64 |
|
7 |
Death in Paradise |
3.98 |
|
8 |
Gavin & Stacey |
3.96 |
|
9 |
Call the Midwife |
3.85 |
|
10 |
Ghosts |
3.82 |
|
11 |
Match of the Day |
3.79 |
|
12 |
Bing |
3.76 |
|
13 |
Two Doors Down |
3.58 |
|
14 |
Shetland |
3.07 |
|
15 |
BBC News |
3.06 |
|
16 |
Yakka Dee! |
3.01 |
|
17 |
Numberblocks |
2.97 |
|
18 |
Breakfast |
2.93 |
|
19 |
Rick Astley Rocks New Year’s Eve |
2.93 |
|
20 |
Kin |
2.89 |