BBC’s UK commercial streaming app doubles viewing in 2 years

The BBC’s UK commercial streaming service U (previously UKTV Play) enjoyed strong growth last year, with viewing up by over a third (34%) and the number of active users up by 21%.

Available content also increased from 7000 hours to over 9000 hours thanks to a mix of new commissions and acquisitions.

Renewed investment in the service, including a move to High Definition and a rebuilding of the app across all platforms, has helped deliver a doubling of viewing over the past two-years.

The service, which is available on smart TVs and streaming devices from Apple, Roku and Amazon, is operated by UKTV, a wholly owned subsidiary of the BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Studios.

In addition to U, UKTV operates a portfolio of advert-funded broadcast and FAST channels plus two subscription channels which are available only to Sky and Virgin Media customers. 

Profits from UKTV form part of the annual dividend BBC Studios pays to the BBC which is used to supplement the Licence Fee funding of channels such as BBC One and BBC News.

According to a recent NAO report, this dividend totalled £1.9bn in the seven years up to 2023/24.

Last year UKTV rebranded its channels and streaming service under a new masterbrand and combined its previously separate linear and VOD divisions as part of a new ‘digital first’ strategy. 

While its linear channels saw some drop off, UKTV remains one of the UK’s biggest networks for TV advertising with an 8.79% Share of Commercial Impacts (SOCI).

Originally dependent on archive content, UKTV is now a major commissioner of original content and has multiple returning shows and brands across all genres. 

In 2024 The Marlow Murder Club gave the network its biggest programme launch in over 10 years, clocking up an audience of over 2.6m. A second series is due to air later this year. The network will also broadcast the rebooted Bergerac series.

Marcus Arthur, UKTV’s CEO, said, “2024 was a pivotal year in UKTV’s digital transformation, and it is testament to the hard work of everyone here that in just two years we have doubled viewing to the U streaming service and achieved record viewing across all our VOD inventory, outpacing the growth achieved by our competitors.

“UKTV continued to accelerate streaming growth throughout last year despite the continued backdrop of market pressures impacting broadcasters, streamers and content makers. 

“While we haven’t been immune to the challenges facing the industry and the decline in linear TV viewing, we’ve driven VOD growth by unifying our VOD and linear businesses and by making smart investments in content, product and branding.

“As we enter 2025 and the world continues to grapple with uncertainty and volatility, the power of content to connect audiences and bring people together has never been more important. 

“At UKTV we remain focused on working with our creative partners in the industry to deliver more powerful, entertaining and inspiring shows for our viewers.”  

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