BBC and Channel 4 struggle to retain younger viewers

According figures seen by the i newspaper, TV viewing of the BBC’s portfolio of channels by 25-34 year olds fell by 12% between 2010 and 2013. This is a greater reduction than any other major British broadcaster, and above the average market decline of around 7%. Channel 4 was hardest hit among 16-24 year olds, with a 19% decline in television viewing. ITV also saw a 3% decline in 25-34 year old viewership.

According to the i, the battle for TV to retain young viewers is “in the face of the relentless growth of Google’s YouTube platform”, though MediaTel point out that figures do not include mobile and tablet viewing, which could be indicative of an “online migration” by younger audiences.

The i article states that Channel 4’s 4OD service has grown 20% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2014.