Choice Grows Audience - Ross Kemp on Sky1:
The way TV is consumed has changed beyond all recognition over the last 20 years. With the proliferation of multi-channel TV and new technologies like Sky+, viewers now have a greater choice of what, where and when they watch. This new-found freedom means we're watching more TV than ever - great news for programme makers and for advertisers alike.
With the distribution of viewers over a wider number of channels, the competition for audiences is tougher than ever. Offering programmes in multiple formats and on different platforms is a great way of attracting viewers, and of course, it sets new challenges for advertisers. Many feared offering this kind of choice would simply cannibalise existing audiences, at a greater cost to the broadcaster. But thankfully this has not been the case - as you are about to see...
Carry on reading below or download the full illustrated PDF opposite
Platforms
Prior to the introduction of Sky+ in 2001, TV programmes were either watched live, or recorded on a VCR - there were no other options. Fast forward to 2009 and there is a plethora of ways to watch your favourite shows.
- TV in Standard Definition (SD ) and High Definition (HD )
- Out of home (e.g. Sky Pub Sports)
- Recorded (e.g.Sky+)
- Interactive multi-start (via Red Button)
- 'On Demand' on TV (e.g. Sky Anytime)
- 'On Demand' online (e.g. Sky Player)
- Mobile (e.g. 3G phones, PSPs, iPhones)
BAFTA Award-Winning Ross Kemp
Over the past 4 years Ross Kemp has continuously delivered gritty and compelling documentaries from across the globe: from his exploration into gang culture or heading to the frontline in Afghanistan to his topical look at the re-emergence of piracy.
The viewing of this ever-evolving and engaging series of documentaries highlights just how audiences will progressively exercise their power to choose and how that freedom of choice ultimately results in larger audiences.
Ross Kemp on Gangs - 2006
2006 saw Ross Kemp's introduction to Sky1 with his investigation into gang culture in Rio de Janeiro, examining the war waging between the authorities and the drugs trade.
391,000 people watched the live premiere on Sky1 - this is the number reported via the BARB overnights, the traditional indicator of the success or failure of a programme. But nowadays this doesn't show the full picture; in fact a total of 1.1 million people actually watched the programme with the live premiere equating to only 36% of the total audience. 54% was added through repeat screenings and 10% came via ‘time-shifted' (i.e. Sky+) viewing.
Ross Kemp in Afghanistan - 2008
Marching forward to 2008, the much acclaimed Ross Kemp In Afghanistan was a personal and gritty account of soldiering on the front line. This time the series was also aired on Sky Anytime TV - Sky's ‘Video on Demand' service available in Sky+ and Sky+ HD homes.
The opening episode attracted a combined audience of 2.1m (46% of whom watched the live premiere). Sky Anytime, not an available platform for Gangs, drew viewing of 114,000 (5%) and ‘timeshifted' viewing accounted for another 15% - repeats pulled in the final 44%. The total audience was some 90% bigger than for Gangs.
Ross Kemp In Search of Pirates - 2009
In 2009, Ross went In Search Of Pirates. The programme focused on the growing phenomenon of high-jacking of cargo ships in the Indian Ocean. As well as showing on all the previous platforms, Pirates was also made available on Sky Player - Sky's online ‘Video on Demand' service.
The live premiere attracted 634,000 (28%), lower than Afghanistan's figures, but its total viewing was higher at 2.2 million - making it the most popular Ross Kemp episode to date. Anytime's slice of viewing increased nearly 4 times to 19%; and ‘time-shifted' viewing remained steady at 15%. The fledgling offering of online viewing on Sky Player was relatively limited (0.18%), but its appearance heralds yet another platform that some viewers will choose to use.
The Advertising Impact
TV content that is more accessible and more controllable is increasingly becoming the norm and exactly what viewers expect. But this evolution has not resulted in the cannibalisation of audiences - in fact it grows them. And as technology evolves new ways to deliver content, audiences will harness this greater choice. This new era in broadcasting means advertising strategies also need to evolve if they are to communicate to maximum effect. As live viewing becomes a smaller percentage of total viewing, overnight measures of initial audiences become less and less meaningful and we must look at the bigger picture if we are to truly understand a programme's worth.
