BBC3 hails online switch a success after Thirteen proves a hit

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/apr/07/bbc3s-online-switch-hailed-a-success-after-thirteen-proves-a-hit

The BBC has heralded the switch of BBC3 to an online-only service as a success after a hit drama reached similar viewing figures to a broadcast show.The channel’s new drama about the aftermath of an abduction, Thirteen has been the channel’s biggest hit on iPlayer, with 2.4 million watching since its release at the end of February, according to numbers provided by the BBC. BBC3’s highest rated show on the broadcast channel was an episode of Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood, which reached an audience of 2.5 million including seven day catchup but not iPlayer, when it was first aired in 2006. The show later drew in larger audiences when it moved first to BBC2 and then BBC1.

1. 2.3 million who watched the Christmas special of Sherlock on iPlayer in January. However, 8.4 million people also tuned into the broadcast on BBC1 on New Year’s Day.

2. 1 million people tuning into one-off drama Murdered by my Father was significantly behind the 3.5 million who tuned in on iPlayer to watch its predecessor Murdered by my Boyfriend.

3. The BBC Trust approved plans to take BBC3 of the airwaves in November in a move that will save the corporation £30m a year. The channel has retained a budget of £30m, around £6m of which will be spent on short-form programming. The bulk of BBC3’s long-form original commissions will also air on BBC1 or BBC2 after debuting online.

4. The BBC did not say whether BBC3 content was still reaching the 11.2 million people a week who tuned into the channel when it was broadcast.

This is the start of BBC3 online and should be excited that they're shows that can be watched which are new or old. This would be giving more of a different option for audiences who would want to use different devices and you can still watch ony TV if have a smart TV which gives the user everything a digital device would by having apps. It is a good start for BBC and should be expecting more from them.