World Cup: STV scores highest weekly audience since 2010, with biggest-ever week for STV Player
- Last week saw 3.2m viewers watch STV and a record 6.2m streams on STV Player
- STV Player live streams have already topped 2018 World Cup with three weeks left to go
- Record stats boosted by I’m a Celebrity – Scotland’s best-watched TV series across all channels this year
The first week of the 2022 FIFA World Cup scored STV some of its highest-ever viewing figures – with streaming service, STV Player, recording its biggest week of streams since launching in 2009.
A record 6.2 million streams were tracked across the week after STV’s World Cup coverage kicked off on Monday 21 November. Wednesday was STV Player’s most-watched day of all time, with 1.2 million streams tracked.
The STV broadcast channel also saw massive viewing figures, reaching 3.2 million across the week and giving STV its highest weekly audience since the heyday of The X Factor in 2010.
The most-watched game of the week on STV was Friday night’s England v USA clash, which was watched live by 890k and received 310k streams on STV Player. The most-streamed match of the tournament so far was Tuesday’s shock defeat of Argentina by Saudi Arabia, which clocked 390k streams.
The record-breaking figures confirm Scotland’s insatiable appetite for the beautiful game, regardless of who’s playing. Despite the national team not qualifying for this year’s World Cup, the percentage of Scots watching the tournament on STV is up 3% on the UK average*. The total number of live streams on STV Player has already surpassed the total for the entirety of the 2018 World Cup – with three weeks still remaining of the 2022 tournament.
Last week’s ratings were also boosted by the final week of reality juggernaut I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, which ended last night with 750k watching Lioness, Jill Scott, crowned Queen of the Jungle live on STV. This year’s run was the most-streamed series ever, with 3.3m streams on STV Player.
The much-loved show, now in its 21st year, has become the best-watched TV series across all channels in Scotland so far this year – beating BBC rival, Strictly Come Dancing, for the first time since 2018.
Blockquote open These record-breaking viewing figures are proof – as if we needed it – that Scotland loves getting together for an international football tournament, even if the Tartan Army didn’t quite get the invite to this year’s World Cup.
Bobby Hain Managing Director of Broadcast at STV
Whether the action is on the pitch or in the jungle, we’re delighted to be bringing viewers so many must-watch moments on STV and STV Player, and look forward to another gripping three weeks of football from Qatar.
Blockquote close
ENDS
Notes:
Tracking week: Monday 21st November – Sunday 27 November 2022
Sources: Adobe Analytics, Freewheel
TV Figures: BARB, Overnights
*Viewing share for matches in Scotland – 46%; viewing share for matches across rest of UK – 43%
Media Contact:
Stephen Innes | stephen.innes@stv.tv