Sky News relaunch flops - BBC News 24 gains

The much-anticipated relaunch of Sky News that took place last month seems to have failed.

Instead of increasing its audience, since Sky News' relaunch, Sky has lost 300,000 viewers and BBC News 24 has gained 200,000 viewers (3 minute weekly reach) according to the British Audience Research Board (BARB).

Since the relaunch, News 24's audience share has been ahead of Sky (0.56% versus 0.48%), in contrast to the year to date when Sky was ahead by 0.67% to 0.62%.

News 24 has increased the proportion of its viewers watching via digital satellite since Sky's relaunch (up from 40% to 44%) – taking viewers straight from Sky.

The News 24 audience that it has gained since the relaunch are older downmarket men, Sky's typical demographic.

The programme presented by former US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs James Rubin has rated especially badly, and in one half-hour slot its audience was just 1,000 viewers.

Source: Media Network