BBC Three ‘disappears’ online
September 9, 2020
BBC Three’s audience has shrunk significantly since the channel went digital-only in 2016.
Research service Enders Analysis charted viewing figures for the year before it went digital-only, with the year to November 2019. It said viewing of BBC Three content, including BBC Three programmes shown on other BBC linear TV channels, is down 72 per cent.
In terms of the channel itself – on BBC iPlayer and not taking into account its shows airing on other channels – viewing minutes decreased 89 per cent.
New director-general Tim Davie is currently considering bringing BBC Three back as a linear channel, following the success of shows such as Normal People, Killing Eve and Fleabag, which have also been broadcast on other channels since debuting on BBC Three.
Report author, Neil Thurman, honorary senior research fellow in the department of journalism at City, University of London, said most of its viewers still watch the channel the traditional way. He added the BBC is right to be considering bringing the channel back to linear television if it wants to attract more attention from its target audience.