Channel 4 set to hit 5 million registered viewers

2 August 2012

In a major update to its viewer engagement strategy, Channel 4 confirms today that during August 2012, over five million people will have registered with the broadcaster as it builds on the programme launched by David Abraham in 2011 to give viewers a more personalised experience.

Channel 4 is the first UK broadcaster to embrace using registered viewer data to inform its strategy and had previously announced that at the end of 2011, two million viewers had taken up the opportunity of registering their details. As Channel 4 knows more about its viewers, it can offer them more of what they want to watch. Registered viewers enjoy an enhanced experience with exclusive content, including online premieres of brand new episodes before they arrive on TV. In August, registered viewers can look forward to live streaming from this year's V Festival and a premiere of the final episode of Lee Kern's Celebrity Bedlam. Registered viewers also enjoy full access to thousands more shows from Channel 4's archive.

In addition, Channel 4 has now confirmed a series of trials with the major UK media agencies and clients to test new advertising innovations and solutions using Channel 4's data platform in a live environment.

To celebrate achieving five million registrations this month, Channel 4 will offer both new and existing registered users the unique opportunity to take over its brand new channel, 4seven, for the night picking their favourite Channel 4 shows.  One of the five million viewers will be given the opportunity to come to Channel 4 HQ for a day, schedule 4seven in peak, and record a continuity link. Five runners up will be given a just-launched YouView set-top box.

The competition will launch on Thursday 2nd August 2012 running throughout the month and the prize winners will be drawn at the beginning of September 2012.

Gill Whitehead, Director of Audience Technologies & Insight, said: "Hitting five million registered viewers in such a short space of time highlights how engaged Channel 4 viewers are with our content.

"4seven brings viewers the most watched and talked about TV from Channel 4, using on screen ‘tweezers' from our viewers to help others decide what to watch. Giving one of our five million registered viewers the unique experience of running 4seven for a night is a fitting reward to mark our milestone registration achievement.

"We are already using the insight we have into our viewers to deliver relevant communications to them, and to trial a number of new innovations and commercial solutions with advertisers."

In April this year, Channel 4 launched its Viewer Promise with Alan Carr to ensure complete transparency with viewers about the data they have shared with Channel 4 and how this is used.

 

Notes to editors:

• 4seven, Channel 4's first new channel since 2005, launched on 4th July 2012 across all major TV platforms. The channel gives viewers another chance to catch up with the most popular talked about Channel 4 content from the last 7 days.