• In India, BBC sites record highest unique visitors in history, with 50m UVs in March
• BBC sites outperformed all other international publishers*
• BBC World News ranks in top five news channels according to latest BARC results
New independent data from Similarweb** has revealed that BBC News sites are the world’s most visited amongst traditional news publishers. March 2020 saw record figures for many news outlets but the figures reveal that the BBC’s online sites attracted the highest number of daily visits during the peak of the recent coronavirus pandemic in March and April 2020.
Data from ATI*** also confirms that March 2020 was the highest-traffic month of all time for BBC.com with:
• 1.5 billion monthly page views
• 179 million monthly unique browsers
• 61 million monthly video views
April was the second highest month on record for BBC.com, with 158m unique browsers, up 31% on the 12 month average.
In India, BBC sites recorded the highest number of unique visitors in their history with almost 50 million unique visitors in March 2020**** representing 166% growth year-on-year. In a BBC Coronavirus Survey held in April 2020, 95% of respondents across India said they came to the BBC to understand the global scale of pandemic.
BBC World News has also seen record-breaking figures as global demand for the channel increased. In recent weeks, it has been made available in over 50m more homes around the world, bringing the total number of households to 503 Million for the first time*****. Television viewership in India saw an equally impressive uplift with BBC World News witnessing 288%****** growth in the period of 1st -17th April 2020. The channel’s impression was 779,440 in Urban India in 28th Mar- 10th April, putting it in the top five news channels in India according to industry body BARC*******.
Whilst growth was driven predominantly by news, other sections of BBC.com have also seen a strong uplift. The site’s features offering – BBC Future, BBC Travel, BBC Culture, BBC Worklife and BBC Reel – saw record figures with a YoY increase of 199% growth in unique browsers and 145% growth in page views.********
Jim Egan, CEO of BBC Global News, said, “Coronavirus transcends borders and political party lines; this pandemic is a truly global story and it affects every one of us. In my lifetime, it has never been more important for people across the world to have access to accurate, impartial news from a source they can trust. Misinformation can be very dangerous and it thrives in times of uncertainty, so I’m pleased that audiences are turning to BBC News in the knowledge that they can rely on us for the facts.”
Rahul Sood, Managing Director, BBC Global News India, said… “These numbers go to show that in times of crisis, people want facts from a news source they believe in. Our platform partners realized the same and have made our channel available in wider packages increasing our distribution by 35% since the start of the pandemic. Viewers want a global impartial perspective, and this is what the BBC gives them.”
* Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform, News/Information – General News, Total Audience, Unique Visitors, March 2019 – March 2020, India . Top 5 ranking is based on the following selection of sites: (BBC Sites, Insider Inc., The Guardian, The New York Times Brand, CNN Network)
** Source: Similarweb
*** Source: AT Internet Mar’20 data (Global)
**** Source:Comscore MMX Multi-Platform, News/Information – General News, Total Audience, Unique Visitors, March 2019 – March 2020, India
*****BBC World News Distribution Report, April 2020
****** Source: BARC India, 1st-17th Mar’20 vs 1st-17th Apr’20, AB 22+ Males, All India, 02:00-26:00hrs, Mon-Sun, Impressions’000.
******* Source: BARC India, 28th Mar’20–10th April’20, AB 22+ Males, India Urban, 02:00-26:00hrs, Mon-Sun, Impressions’000.
******** AT Internet, March 2020 v March 2019 (India)