BBC iPlayer users watch 3.5m programmes in two weeks

by Staff, Brand Republic 15-Jan-08, 10:40

LONDON - Three-and-a-half million programmes were watched via the BBC iPlayer service during the first fortnight after its official launch on Christmas Day, with 'Doctor Who' proving the most popular.

More than one million visitors went to the iPlayer site http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer during the fortnight ending January 7, with an average of 250,000 programmes being downloaded or streamed a day, according to BBC research.

It showed that each programme streamed is watched for less than 25 minutes. Streaming is more popular than downloading by a factor of eight to one.

After the 'Doctor Who' Christmas special, the most popular shows were: the 'Extras' Christmas Special; 'Top Gear'; 'The Catherine Tate Christmas Show'; and the Christmas day edition of 'EastEnders'.

Ashley Highfield, director of BBC Future Media and Technology, said: "Typically, people who use the BBC iPlayer are spending nearly half an hour a day watching streams of their favourite programmes, suggesting that it looks set to revolutionise the way BBC Television programmes are viewed in the UK.

"Significantly, while the BBC iPlayer allows the public to catch up on their favourite mainstream BBC shows, it is also encouraging to see that nearly half of all programmes streamed or downloaded are placed outside the top 50, demonstrating how on-demand services can bring niche programming to a wider audience."