[Ash101]

It's been 1 hour 45 minutes for quite a few years on launch night (indeed, just checked ITVX and the run time is the same as last night for each of the last 4 series openers).

Yes the number is disappointing, but the share is still 46%, so it's still a monster in TV terms?

[Brekkie]

Now Netflix (and some other streamers) are reported by BARB are they included as part of the audience share in the overnights or is it just linear channels - i.e. does the share figure reflect that a good chunk of those not watching will have gone to streamers rather than other channels?

[orange]

I’m really quite shocked that it’s taken this long for it to be dented like it has been - last few times I tuned in on launch night it was the exact same thing from the year before just with different celebrities so I got bored of it.

It’s doing very well regardless - it’s insane to me that the novelty hasn’t worn off for most people though.

[bilky asko]

It's been 1 hour 45 minutes for quite a few years on launch night (indeed, just checked ITVX and the run time is the same as last night for each of the last 4 series openers).

Yes the number is disappointing, but the share is still 46%, so it's still a monster in TV terms?

The percentage share for last year's launch was 52.6%. That suggests, in round figures, that the total available audience was 2 million lower than last year (17,000,000 versus 15,000,000).

To put it another way, if the share were the same as last year, the viewing figures would have been approximately 7.8 million - not really all that much of a drop-off.

[Brekkie]

It is a show that can fluctuate quite a bit from year to year depending on circumstances - it put on 2m the year Ant was replaced by Holly and a few years later lost over 2.5m for it's second castle series in 2021 but regained most of them last year.

The fact that based on average ratings it's three highest rating series were in 2004, 2013 and 2020 does show it's enduring appeal. For the record the three lowest were 2002 (the 1st), 2007 and 2021 - so unlike most long running shows there hasn't been a trend one way or the other over the years.

[bilky asko]

Twitter's response is, as usual, full of nonsense.

The tabloid-y Super TV account has got all excited over the raw figures, not taking into account the share at all:
twitter.com 

Others are posting last year's ratings:
twitter.com 

[Brekkie]

I think in this case though the raw figure is the story - people possibly going to bed instead of watching other channels doesn't negate the loss, even if it is still a monster share.

[Jon]

The star quality of the line up is just so poor compared to last year. Excluding the politicians there was about 3 or 4 bigger names last year.

[eyeTV]

And this is the problem when you cast very divisive political figures. It's given a lot of oxygen to the fact that numbers are down and created a lot of noise about it that probably would have gone relatively unnoticed otherwise.

[bilky asko]

I think in this case though the raw figure is the story - people possibly going to bed instead of watching other channels doesn't negate the loss, even if it is still a monster share.

Or, more likely, watching streaming content instead. I'm not sure that many people are off to bed at 9pm!