Drama helps drive Channel 5 growth

Channel 5 grew its share for the fourth consecutive year in 2022, with original drama being a major driver.

Channel 5’s share of all-individual’s viewing increased by +1% year-on-year (YOY) overall. Drama accounted for the channel’s top five shows of the year.

The Teacher, starring Sheridan Smith, become the channel’s highest ever commissioned drama, drawing in an audience of 4.3m across its run, followed closely by the 3^rd series of All Creatures Great and Small (ACGAS) (3.8m), The Holiday (2.9m) and Maxine (2.6m). The final ever episode of Neighbours on 29^th July consolidated to 3.9m.

In factual, The Yorkshire Farm: Reuben & Clive was the channel’s highest new factual show of the year with 2.1m watching the two parter, whilst returners Warship: Life At Sea, Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly and Ben Fogle: New Lives In the Wild all attracted over 2m viewers. Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly and Warship: Life At Sea, both had their highest ever series and the latter was also the channel’s highest returning factual show of the year (peaking at 2.2m).

Contributing to its overall growth, Channel 5 also had its strongest ever year for share of viewing in the 7pm slot, up +3% YOY. Key titles included World’s Most Scenic River Journeys and 30 Ways To Cut Your Bills, How Do They Really Do It? and World’s Strongest Man.

The free-to-air digital portfolio – which includes 5STAR, 5USA, 5Select and 5ACTION – grew “more than any of its commercial terrestrial competitors” (+2%). Key titles included Trucking Hell, Treadstone, NCIS, Law & Order: SVU, Home & Away, A&E After Darkand weather documentaries.

Drama was also a driver for My5, which saw its third consecutive year of growth across Streams and watch time, supplying three of the top four launches of all time during 2022 – The Teacher, The Holiday and Maxine.

Channel 5’s pre-school strand Milkshake! grew 15% in 2022, resulting in its 4^th consecutive year of growth and celebrating its 25^th year on air. Its growth was aided by three of its highest ever months across the year in January, May and June, driven by titles including Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Pip & Posy, The Adventures Of Paddington, Milo, Mimi’s World, The World According To Grandpa and Pop Paper City.

Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer, UK, at Paramount said: “Four consecutive years of share growth is a huge achievement for any channel and it’s testament to the strength and variety of Channel 5’s schedule – which is continuing to change perceptions of the channel and attract new viewers.”