HORSE & COUNTRY TV BREAKS THROUGH THE MILLION VIEWER BARRIER IN Q4 2014
Thursday 26 February 2015
Figures released this week by BARB (the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board, the body responsible for measuring TV audiences in the UK) show that over 1 million people tuned into Horse & Country TV in the fourth quarter of 2014. This figure is for the UK only and thus excludes the Channel’s extensive following in the Republic of Ireland.
The BARB data, which is derived from the viewing behaviour of an extensive panel of homes designed to represent the UK audience as a whole, showed that 1,096,000 unique individuals watched H&C at some stage during the quarter.
Commenting on these figures Jonathan Rippon, Horse & Country TV’s Head of Programming said,
“We’re delighted with these results, all the more so because they coincide with our latest viewer survey which shows that six of the ten most popular shows on the channel are our in-house productions. With shows like Rudall’s Round-Up, H&C Masterclass and Yard Talk we’re bringing the passionate equestrian audience specialist programming that really hits the spot.”
Over 1,000 people participated in H&C’s 2015 viewer survey and the results will be revealed at the forthcoming BETA International trade fair at the NEC this weekend. The findings include spend data that shows that 58% of H&C viewers spend over £200 per month on their riding whilst 21% spend over £500.
Richard Burdett, Horse & Country TV’s Managing Director said,
“By combining the BARB audience data with our own viewer survey, we estimate that H&C viewers are responsible for spending over £100m each month on equestrian goods and services. At a time when print circulations are under increasing pressure and magazines are getting ever thinner it’s important for our advertisers to be able to access the power of television where they can reach a growing audience and have a wonderful creative platform to showcase their brands.”
In addition to the UK and the Republic of Ireland, H&C also broadcasts localised versions of the Channel in the Netherlands and Sweden and has this week launched in Australia