Record month for iPlayer, TV platform and games console use grows

BBC iPlayer recorded a record month in September, with use of the service on TV platforms up 22% and games consoles up 16%. Mobile and tablet use accounted for 21% of requests.

The record 199 million iPlayer requests during the month topped the 196 million recorded in August, with the increase driven primarily by radio requests, which grew 8% month-on-month.

TV platform operators, including Virgin Media, accounted for 13% of requests, with internet TV/connected devices – including the likes of Freeview and Freesat smart TVs, set-top boxes, Roku media players and Blu-ray players – accounting for a further 2%. Computers were still responsible for the lion’s share of requests at 52%, with tablets accounting for 9% and mobile devices for 12%. Games consoles accounted for 6% of requests. For TV requests only, the proportion accounted for by computers fell to 47%, with other platforms all up.

The gender profile of iPlayer use reached a even split between males and females for the first time in the second quarter, according to the BBC, with a record 23% of requests also being made by people over the age of 55.
The first episode of series seven of Doctor Who was the most requested programme, with 2.19 million requests.