Changes to the BBC iPlayer have paid off for the BBC with the streaming service recording its best-ever year.
The number of streams grew by 11 per cent year-on-year, while the total number of requests grew to 3.3 billion.
Over the past 12 months a number of changes have been made to the iPlayer to maintain its position against commercial streaming services. Among them has been the introduction of a new From the Archive section, more boxed sets, particularly over the Christmas period, and increased personalisation.
Dan Taylor-Watt, head of BBC iPlayer, said: “It’s been an extraordinary year for BBC iPlayer. Boxsets were extremely popular, audiences loved watching, and whether enjoying a new series, watching a currently airing programme or indulging in a classic archive show, viewers seem to love it. We also showed one of our most visually spectacular programmes, Blue Planet II, in the best quality ever seen on the BBC, as well as making BBC iPlayer much more personalised. In 2018, we’ll be looking to build on these successes and continue to make BBC iPlayer a must-visit destination in its own right.”
Most Popular Shows on the iPlayer in 2017
| Rank | Programme | Episode | Requests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Planet II Series 1 | One Ocean Episode 1 | 4,768,000 |
| 2 | Taboo | Episode 1 | 4,464,000 |
| 3 | Doctor Foster Series 2 | Episode 1 | 3,677,000 |
| 4 | Three Girls Series 1 | Episode 1 | 3,588,000 |
| 5 | Blue Planet II Series 1 | The Deep Episode 2 | 3,560,000 |
| 6 | Sherlock Series 4 | The Six Thatchers Episode 1 | 3,445,000 |
| 7 | Peaky Blinders Series 4 | The Noose Episode 1 | 3,358,000 |
| 8 | Line of Duty Series 4 | Episode 1 | 3,114,000 |
| 9 | Apple Tree Yard Series 1 | Episode 1 | 3,112,000 |
| 10 | Three Girls Series 1 | Episode 2 | 3,098,000 |
Blue Planet II became the first full series to be streamed in the Ultra HD and HDR formats. The David Attenborough documentary was also the most popular show of 2017 with the first episode recording 4.8 million requests. Second was the first episode of Taboo (4.5 million requests) and third the first episode of Doctor Foster series 2 (3.7 million requests).
New series including Peter Kay’s Car Share, Motherland, Top of the Lake: China Girl and Feud: Bette and Joan were made available in full as a Box Set immediately after the first episode had premiered. They then remained on the iPlayer until 30 days after the transmission of the final episode.
Requests from connected TV devices are up 34% compared to December 2016. Also up year-on-year compared to December 2016 were requests from mobiles at 19% and computers at 3%.
