‘A brilliant example of a broadcaster acknowledging it needs to meet its audience where they are, with great success’
Blurring the boundaries between television and digital, Channel 4.0 launched in October 2022. Channel 4.0 aims to introduce the next generation of viewers to Channel 4, via the medium they watch the most – YouTube.
And its results speak for themselves – with 51m minutes watched, 23m views and an audience that is 84% 13 to 24-year-olds, the younger generation have definitely been introduced.
Judges loved the channel’s manifesto of marrying fun formats to programming with purpose – exemplified by YouTube and content creator-fronted shows such as Secret Sauce, where YouTube personality Chunkz combines cooking challenges with an exploration of the heritage of a wide range of guests. Meanwhile, social media star and presenter Alhan Gençay travelled Britain asking if It’s Alright to be White?, exploring different events and societies around Britain.
Important conversations about class, race, culture mixed with high entertainment values in an intrinsically Channel 4 way in the more serious formats, but Channel 4.0 also didn’t forget its sense of fun. Formats such as BoxFresh and Flight Mode provided audiences with pure entertainment, featuring obstacle courses and friends battling it out for a holiday.
Above all, judges were impressed with how well the channel knows its audience, providing exposure to new talent.
One judge called it “a brilliant example of a broadcaster acknowledging it needs to meet its audience where they are, with great success”.
SHORTLISTED
With a range of entertainment formats targeted at both the mainstream and harder to reach audiences, 2022 was a bumper year for BBC3’s entertainment offerings. Glow Up and The Rap Game both succeeded as returning formats, receiving 5.2m and 1.4m requests respectively. Meanwhile Young Masterchef excelled in speaking to the harder to reach audiences, with a 52% C2DE and 33% BAME profile.
Dave’s entertainment led the charge this year, particularly in the comedy space. Newcomer Worlds Most Dangerous Roads sat comfortably next to top hitting returners such as Meet the Richardsons and Big Zuu’s Big Eats.
During E4’s ‘best year on record’, the channel launched a range of successful entertainment formats such as Celeb Cooking School and Fred’s Last Resort. Judges praised the channel’s use of new talents across programming, as well as its commissioning, scheduling and marketing aimed squarely at the 16 to 34-year-old audience.
LADbible TV
LADbible’s YouTube boasts 2.3m subscribers and has ambitions to redefine digital content and reflect diversity. The channel also aims to put community first and use its reach for good, covering topics such as terminal illness, drugs and the Ukraine war.
Elsewhere, fun formats are rapidly distributed and quickly win audience engagement – the inclusion of Pedro Pascal on an episode of Snack Wars generated 4.9m views on YouTube and became a viral meme.
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