BBC iPlayer passed seven-billion streams milestone in 2022

UK pubcaster the BBC’s iPlayer on-demand service passed the milestone of seven billion streams in a year for the first time in 2022, boosted by the FIFA World Cup from Qatar. BBC iPlayer also recorded its best quarter and best month ever during the year.

BBC iPlayer streams for 2022 were 9% up on 2021. The service also ended the year with both the best month and best quarter ever, with 700 million streams for December and two billion streams between October and December, according to the broadcaster.

The World Cup coverage was streamed 92 million times on iPlayer, while also reaching an audience of 38.8 million on BBC TV.

Period crime drama Peaky Blinders provided the most streamed episode of the year, streamed 6.9 million times across the year, with over 55 million streams for the Peaky Blinders boxset

Other top boxsets of the year include Doctor Who (56m streams), Waterloo Road (2006-2015) (46m streams), and Death in Paradise (46m streams).

Among other sporting events the Commonwealth Games recorded 53 million streams while Wimbledon recorded 43 million streams.

Returning series EastEnders enjoyed its best year ever on iPlayer, being streamed 366 million times

Director of BBC iPlayer Dan McGolpin said: “2022 saw huge growth for BBC iPlayer, seven billion streams is double where we were a few years ago. Alongside the big events like the World Cup and the outstanding coverage of the state funeral for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, people arrived in their millions to watch an array of big drama boxsets including the final series of Peaky Blinders and a large number of brand-new series such as The Tourist, The Responder and SAS Rogue Heroes.  Over the last year we’ve added more choice than ever before in every genre, with plenty more in store for 2023.”