Killing Eve advancement pays off for BBC

The BBC’s decision to push up the release of the latest season of Killing Eve has paid off, with demand skyrocketing.

According to Parrot Analytics, compared to the premiere day demand of Season 2, UK demand for the current season of the spy thriller on premiere day was up 29%.

The report adds that interest in the season had been at a similar level to that for season 2, but that jumped up by 79% on March 27 – the day after the broadcaster announced that the third season would be moved up by two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The firm said that it has been tracking demand for the Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh-starring show prior to each new season’s launch. Interest in the first season was described as ‘negligible’ when compared to the average show. Following a widely celebrated debut season, interest in season 2 was approximately 20 times the average show, with that momentum carrying on to the latest season.

Parrot Analytics measures interest in TV shows by social media engagement, video streaming and peer-to-peer protocols, photo sharing, blogging, and research platforms. It claims to be the only company to combine all these touch points into a single TV content demand measurement.

Steve Langdon, partnership director, EMEA and Parrot Analytics said: “Having a shorter lead time to promote a season premiere means less time to stir up interest, but the excitement generated by the announcement that the new season would be earlier than originally planned put Killing Eve Season 3 on track to top its previous successful season.“It was a highly effective and successful marketing and launch strategy.”