Long-running soap opera “EastEnders” and reality sensation “The Traitors” were the most streamed shows on BBC streamer iPlayer during the holiday period.
During the two-week period from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2, “EastEnders” pulled in 23.7 million streams, while the Studio Lambert-produced “The Traitors” drew 12.4 million to iPlayer. Next up was children’s program “Hey Duggee” with 10.2 million, fantasy drama “His Dark Materials” with 8.2 million and children’s show “Bluey” with 6.2 million.
The numbers for “The Traitors,” in particular, are impressive given the show — which is based on a Dutch format from broadcaster RTL — wrapped its linear broadcast only on Dec. 22, meaning a substantial audience caught up with the series as a boxset on iPlayer. Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the “Mafia”-style reality show, in which a group of “faithful” contestants have to find the “traitors” in their midst who are quietly killing them off, was one of Britain’s most talked-about programs of the year.
The BBC confirmed on Thursday that, across the “festive fortnight,” programs were streamed more times on iPlayer this year than last year, with Dec. 23, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 showing the highest growth year on year (up 25% or more). Meanwhile, the week from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 marked iPlayer’s best-ever “festive week” with programs streamed 165 million times.
On New Year’s Day, programs were streamed 30% more than last year – making it iPlayer’s third best day of all time, only behind two days during the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Aside from “His Dark Materials,” other top dramas during the holidays included Season 5 of “Strike” — the TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Cormoran Strike novels — which clocked 6.1 million streams; the premiere of Sally Wainwright’s final season of “Happy Valley,” with 5 million; and the “Motherland” Christmas special, with 4 million streams.
Elsewhere, “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” received 1.8 million streams, while “Sam Ryder Rocks New Year’s Eve,” featuring the U.K. Eurovision star, was close behind with 1.7 million streams.
The top 20 most streamed programs between Dec. 20 to Jan. 2 are below:
“EastEnders”: 23,719,000
“The Traitors”: 12,396,000
“Hey Duggee”: 10,177,000
“His Dark Materials”: 8,160,000
“Bluey”: 6,169,000
“Strike”: 6,131,000
“Bing”: 5,316,000
“Happy Valley”: 5,049,000
“BBC News”: 4,036,000
“Motherland”: 3,968,000
“Gavin & Stacey”: 3,963,000
“Call the Midwife”: 3,673,000
“Mrs Brown’s Boys”: 3,526,000
“Waterloo Road (2006-15)”: 3,499,000
“Death in Paradise”: 3,454,000
“Ghosts”: 2,950,000
“Detectorists”: 2,904,000
“Breakfast”: 2,794,000
“Numberblocks”: 2,528,000
“Sam Ryder Rocks New Year’s Eve”: 2,462,000
The top 20 individual episodes streamed on BBC iPlayer between Dec. 20 and Jan. 2 are:
“EastEnders” – 25/12/2022: 2,490,000
“EastEnders” – 26/12/2022: 2,363,000
“EastEnders” – 29/12/2022: 2,254,000
“EastEnders” – 23/12/2022: 2,094,000
“EastEnders” – 20/12/2022: 2,037,000
“EastEnders” – 27/12/2022: 2,034,000
“EastEnders” – 28/12/2022: 1,956,000
“Call the Midwife – Christmas Special 2022”: 1,910,000
“EastEnders” – 22/12/2022: 1,884,000
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”: 1,817,000
“The Traitors” – Series 1 – Episode 12: 1,811,000
“Sam Ryder Rocks New Year’s Eve – Part 1”: 1,669,000
“The Traitors” – Series 1 – Episode 11: 1,569,000
“The Traitors” – Series 1 – Episode 10: 1,563,000
“Motherland – Last Christmas”: 1,548,000
“Death in Paradise” – Christmas Special 2022: 1,502,000
“EastEnders” – 01/01/2023: 1,485,000
“Match of the Day” – 2022/23 – 26/12/2022: 1,294,000
“EastEnders” – 02/01/2023: 1,196,000
“The Traitors” – Series 1 – Episode 1: 1,175,000
