Planet Earth II, Thirteen and Euro 2016 top most popular BBC iPlayer shows of 2016 so far
Hit documentary series Planet Earth II is 2016’s most requested show on BBC iPlayer, new data from the BBC reveals. The series, tops the list of the most popular BBC iPlayer shows of the year so far, with the first episode Islands having been requested more than 3.8 million times.
Published: 15 December 2016
The extraordinary Planet Earth II tops the most popular list in this record breaking year for BBC iPlayer. In 2016, it has enabled audiences to enjoy a range of high quality programmes when and where they want to, and find content they might otherwise have missed.
The data has also revealed that 2016 has so far been BBC iPlayer’s biggest year ever, receiving on average 243 million monthly requests. October and November saw the highest average number of daily requests BBC iPlayer has ever seen, at 11.7 million in each month.
BBC Three had a good year on BBC iPlayer, with drama Thirteen’s first episode requested more than 3.2 million times, the second most popular episode of any series across the year so far. The channel’s comedy drama Fleabag also performed well, being requested 6.7 million times across the series.
It was a big year for live viewing on BBC iPlayer, with Olympics events being streamed live more than 30 million times across the summer. During Euro 2016, the England vs Wales football match had more than 2 million requests to watch the match live, becoming BBC iPlayer’s third most popular programme and most-watched live event of the year.
Other strong performers include BBC One’s Golden-Globe nominated drama The Night Manager, the seventh series of Great British Bake Off and the New Year Sherlock special The Abominable Bride.
The top ten most requested individual episodes on BBC iPlayer in 2016 are:
The top ten most requested 2016 BBC iPlayer programmes per series are:
Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, said: "The extraordinary Planet Earth II tops the most popular list in this record breaking year for BBC iPlayer. In 2016, it has enabled audiences to enjoy a range of high quality programmes when and where they want to, and find content they might otherwise have missed. From Bake Off, The Night Manager, Thirteen, Sherlock, Our Girl, Fleabag and even live football - it’s an exceptional service that we will be taking to the next level in 2017. This Christmas promises even more opportunities for viewers to watch their favourite shows from our incredible festive schedule.”
In July 2016 the BBC changed the reporting source for online video viewing. Statistics for the performance of BBC iPlayer from July 2016 to November 2016 can be found here.
RB
Notes to Editors
- The majority of programmes are available on BBC iPlayer for 30 days following their original broadcast. Some content, including that produced for BBC Three, is available for longer.
