UKTV sets its financial record surpassing Sky and Channel 5 in its share of commercial impacts
UKTV has propelled itself ahead of Sky and Channel 5 in its share of commercial impacts, reporting record financial results in 2015, thanks largely to an over 20 per cent increased investment in original and linear programming.
The company’s performance has surpassed previous records in operating profits, now at £79.6m, an increase of over 20 per cent over two years, as well as revenue, which rose to £319m, a 13 per cent year-on-year increase.
UKTV has also reported record ratings, with 2015’s ratings showing that UKTV delivered 9.31 per cent share of commercial impact, putting it ahead of the Channel 5 portfolio (9.27 per cent) and Sky branded channels (9.27 per cent), including movies and sport. It means the media company has grown its share of commercial impacts by 29 per cent in just five years.
In 2015 UKTV substantially increased its investment in content, this spend amounting to over £148m compared to £123m in 2014, delivering year-on-year market share growth in viewing figures.
What’s more, the media company’s channel portfolio now has the two top-rating non-PSB channels in the UK: Dave and Drama.
The broadcaster has continued to invest in the expansion of its business beyond linear broadcasting, with a focus on its UKTV Play on demand platform. It added Drama to its on demand service last year - which already streams content from Dave, Yesterday and Really - contributing to a 26 per cent increase in views year-on-year to the VOD service.
UKTV’s original programming has contributed to the strong financial results, with North One’s Storage Hunters UK Celebrity Special on Dave taking the crown for the network’s best performing show of the year (989k viewers), according to BARB data.
Last year, four of UKTV’s top ten performing titles were original commissions, three were UK premiere acquisitions and three were BBC titles.
The company launched Drama, Yesterday and Really on Freesat in December last year, moved pay TV lifestyle channel Home onto Freeview in March, and launched new entertainment channel, W, in February.