Revamp 'brought young viewers to Three'

A revamped schedule and design has successfully attracted more young viewers to the channel, BBC Three said today.

One of the key elements of the February 12 relaunch was to increase cross-platform work. It was billed as putting "the habits and preferences of its key audience - the elusive 16 to 34s - at its heart".

A month after the changes were introduced channel bosses have drawn attention to its ratings among the age group.

During the period BBC Three has achieved a 3.9% share of viewing by the age group. It is the largest share for any digital-only channel and a 44% increase on the same period last year.

The channel's three-minute reach among 16-34s has risen 33% year-on-year to 4.5m. The profile of BBC Three viewers was also younger than ever during the month with 41% now in the 16-34 bracket. It is a 14% year-on-year rise.

BBC Three's reach among all demographics was up 27% year-on-year, it said, to 14.1m viewers.

Finally, it drew attention to its programmes' disproportionate popularity on the BBC iPlayer. Hits on the video on demand service have included chat show Lily Allen And Friends, which was a headline newcomer for the relaunch.

The series' linear broadcasts have, however, struggled, trailing the slot average by some way.

"I'm delighted that young audiences have responded so positively to the changes we've made to BBC Three," said controller Danny Cohen.

"We are going to continue to work hard to introduce new programmes and new talent to our target audience."