End of year figures brought good news for digital TV channels. Despite the ITV Digital debackle setting back terrestrial digital TV, a number of digital stations enjoyed record viewing figures last year, with shows like Friends, The Simpsons and digital only editions of Pop Idol pulling in over a million viewers – a key target for cable or satellite stations.
Unsurprisingly the sports channels faired best, though both Sky and Channel 4’s digital channel E4 performed well with their premiers of US hits like Friends, The Simpsons and ER, and for E4 with the extra Big Brother shows.
Given that ITV’s terrestrial digital platform collapsed in 2002, handing the BBC the upper hand through its Freeview system, it is perhaps ironic that the BBC’s main digital channels – BBC 4, BBC Choice and BBC News 24 – all faired badly, while ITV’s main digital station, ITV2, did well, especially with the Pop Idol extra shows that came on the digital station immediately after the main show on ITV1.
BBC 4 – the corporation’s intellectual station – despite some critical acclaim, faired very badly, with some shows pulling in less than 3000 viewers. That said, a station with classical concerts, documentaries and world news was perhaps unlikely to appeal to typical multi-channel households, but might persuade technophobes to buy into the Freeview system.
BBC Choice depended on spin offs from BBC 1 shows – in particular Fame Academy and Eastenders repeats – for its hit shows, but neither got anywhere near a million viewers. Bosses will be hoping the station’s relaunch as youth channel BBC 3 this Spring will help transform its fortunes.