Channel 4 has significantly augmented its presence on YouTube throughout 2024.
- A remarkable 309% increase in UK YouTube views for full episodes of Channel 4 programmes has been recorded.
- The network’s social reach achieved an astounding 1.8 billion views across its platforms this year.
- Dramas like “Hollyoaks” and investigative series such as “UNTOLD” have driven this massive growth.
- Channel 4’s strategic focus on digital and social platforms continues to outpace its competitors.
Channel 4 has made substantial progress on YouTube in 2024, experiencing a threefold increase in UK views for full episodes. This surge is largely attributed to programmes such as “UNTOLD”, “Hollyoaks”, “Murder Case: In The Footsteps Of Killers”, and “Football Cops”. By targeting digital natives on emerging platforms, Channel 4 builds on its reputation as the fastest-growing streamer of the year.
In particular, the social media output of Channel 4 has generated 1.8 billion UK views, aided by a remarkable 309% year-on-year rise in views of full episodes of its programming on YouTube. Documentaries like “24 Hours in Police Custody” have been pivotal, drawing record-breaking YouTube audiences.
The current affairs series “UNTOLD”, offering digital-first investigations targeted at 16 to 34-year-olds, has captured attention with episodes like “The Secret World of Boy Racers”, contributing 0.3 million UK views. Channel 4’s decision last year to adopt a digital-first schedule for “Hollyoaks”, by synchronizing its release on YouTube with streaming and linear formats, has resulted in 3.5 million global views in 2024 alone.
YouTube views for Channel 4’s content have increased by 43% from the previous year, with entertainment programming and external acquisitions thriving. Significantly, the network’s coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games amassed 41 million views across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, including 2.4 million livestreams and 2.1 million non-live streams on YouTube.
Channel 4.0 has more than doubled UK views, now reaching 120 million across social media platforms. This success is driven by entertaining content such as “Tapped Out”, “King Konan’s Trap Door”, and “Worst In Class”.
TikTok has emerged as the fastest-growing platform for Channel 4 this year, with UK views up 86% to 480 million, propelled by a partnership with 4Studio to deliver the Paralympic Games digital experience. Additionally, UK views on Instagram have surged by 39% to 349 million, featuring popular channels like “Hollyoaks”, “Made In Chelsea”, and “Celebs Go Dating”.
Channel 4’s strategic social media growth aligns with its broader streaming expansion, boasting the strongest year-on-year growth (+21%) among leading commercial streamers like ITV, Sky, Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon. According to Matt Risley, Managing Director of 4Studio, Channel 4 is positioned to double its social viewing by 2030, underscoring its leadership in engaging social audiences at scale.
Channel 4’s digital strategy continues to redefine its viewership landscape.
