The BBC shared the results of its annual report and they are auspicious: it is the go-to media brand in the UK, with 95% of UK adults using our services on average per month.The company continue to deliver for audiences across the UK, and abroad. In March, BBC set out a long-term ambitious plan to prioritise, and focus our resources on, three essential roles: to pursue truth with no agenda; to back the best homegrown storytelling; and to bring people together.
Samir Shah, BBC Chair, committed to the values of a public service broadcaster: “The BBC matters deeply to the UK, and continues to play an important role on the global stage. With the Board, I look forward to overseeing progress with the solid plans in place to preserve the benefits of public service broadcasting for all, and to ensure the BBC can deliver for audiences well into the future," commented.
On his part, Tim Davie, BBC Director-General, referred to the transformation of the BBC: “This year’s Annual Report shows how we are transforming at pace to deliver for all audiences in the digital age.We remain firmly focussed on prioritising our resources into building a BBC for the future that can deliver crucial benefits for the UK at a critical time – and help support a healthy democracy, a thriving creative economy, and a strong society," explained.
Next, let's go over some of its main points, starting with the content. More people, by far, get their news from the BBC than from any other source and – across all our services – 35 million UK adults came to the BBC per day across 2023/24. That´s not all, BBC is the only UK provider to appear in the top five most-used media brands for young people and it was another record-breaking year for BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer, with both seeing a significant increase in the number of weekly active accounts.
The BBC brought people together for the Coronation of King Charles III, watched by an average audience of 14.6 million, and the Eurovision Grand Final in Liverpool, watched by an average audience of 10 million on the night.
It also saw huge audiences for homegrown storytelling across all genres, from "Doctor Who" and "Planet Earth III" to "Ghosts and The Traitors". It was a great year for distinctly British drama from across the UK, including "Blue Lights", "Shetland", "Steeltown Murders", "Sherwood" and "The Responder".
BBC Radio continues to be the market leader in the audio space, with over 30 million adults listening on average per week – more than any other broadcast radio company or on-demand player. Radio 2 is the UK’s number one station overall, Radio 4 the number one speech station and 6 Music the biggest digital-only service.
And what about the financial aspect? BBC Studios achieved a solid year of performance, despite a backdrop of challenging trading conditions, with sales of £1.9 billion (2022/23: £2.1 billion). An increase to its borrowing limits has kickstarted further investment and the recent acquisition of streaming service BritBox International demonstrates its sustainable future growth plans. The company aim to double our commercial business by 2027/28, generating additional content and funding for the BBC.
While licences in force declined by 2% year-on-year, the vast majority of their audiences remained committed to paying the licence fee and 95% of public service spend was directed to content and its delivery. In real terms, the licence fee generated 30% more income in 2010/11 than it does today – a difference of more than £1 billion a year.
The report demonstrates delivery on all three of its key pillars. Firtly, it pursues the truth with no agenda. Seventy-five percent of UK adults use BBC News on average per week, which is well ahead of the next nearest provider. Additionally, 1.3 million 12-15 year olds in the UK follow the news with the BBC, higher than any other organisation. The BBC carries the UK’s voice, values, and influence to a weekly audience of 450 million people worldwide, and it is the world’s most trusted international news provider.
It also backs homegrown storytelling. The BBC contributed almost £5 billion to the UK economy last year, and for every £1 of the BBC’s direct economic activity, £2.63 is generated in the UK economy. Half of its economic impact is outside London, compared to 20% for the wider industry. Ninety-nine percent of its original content is made in the UK, making it the largest single investor in UK-made programming. The BBC won 14 BAFTA TV awards in 2024, more than any other broadcaster or streamer.
Finally, it brings people together. BBC coverage reached 25.2 million people in the UK on the day of the Coronation of HM The King and HM The Queen Consort. There were a record 8.1 billion streaming requests on BBC iPlayer, up 10% from the year before. Of the UK’s top 10 most viewed programmes in 2023, seven were on the BBC, highlighting its ongoing importance and relevance for today’s audiences. People spent an average of 5 hours and 44 minutes watching BBC TV/iPlayer per week, more than all the big SVOD streamers combined.