Sky News has reported its best audience share of all time across its broadcast and digital platforms in 2020.
Record audience engagement was driven by the network’s live breaking news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, in-depth political and national affairs programming, on-the-ground coverage of the US Presidential Election, exclusive commentary from opinion leaders, and investigative documentaries. In 2020 Sky News content reached more Australians than ever in its history.
Paul Whittaker, Chief Executive Officer, Sky News Australia said: “When Australians needed reliable, trustworthy and comprehensive news coverage, they turned to us in record numbers. When they wanted context, commentary and analysis of events, they turned to the nation’s best commentators on Sky News.”
SKY NEWS ON FOXTEL
Sky News on Foxtel has delivered a record average audience share of 3.0% across the past 47 weeks, ranking as the #1 channel across Foxtel throughout the year to date.
The strong audience growth was seen in across all key Dayparts:
• All Day (2am – 2am) up a record +43%; reaching 4 million unique viewers
• Morning (9am-12pm) up a record +73%; reaching 2 million unique viewers
• Daytime (9am-5pm) up a record +69%; reaching 3.3 million unique viewers
• Primetime (6pm-10pm) up a record +36%; reaching 2.9 million unique viewers
• Breakfast Weekdays (5am-9am) up +21%, reaching 1.2 million unique viewers
Sky News investigative documentaries continue to drive audiences, with the two-part special MH370: The Untold Story holding the #1 and #2 individual program positions for the year, topping the ratings on Foxtel at premiere. The one-hour investigative specials The Death of the Aussie Larrikin and Deadly Decisions: Victoria’s Hotel Quarantine Catastrophe were both the #1 programs on Foxtel at premiere.
Throughout the year key programs delivered strong year-on-year audience growth.
• First Edition (Weekdays 5am – 9am) up +32%
• AM Agenda (Weekdays 9am – 12pm) up +65%
• NewsDay (Weekdays 12pm – 2pm) up +91%
• Afternoon Agenda (Weekdays 2pm – 5pm) up +69%
• The Kenny Report Weekdays 5pm – 6pm) up +59%
• Credlin (Weeknights 6pm – 7pm) up +41%
• The Bolt Report (Weeknights 7pm) up +32%
• Alan Jones (Monday – Thursday 8pm) up +60%
• Paul Murray Live (Sunday – Thursday 9pm) up +34%
• Kenny on Media (Fridays 8pm) up +13%
• The Front Page (Monday – Thursday 11pm) up +46%
• Sunday Agenda (Sundays 8am) up +10%
• Outsiders (Sundays 9am) up +60%
• Business Weekend (Sundays 11am) up +58%
SKY NEWS DIGITAL
Sky News Australia reached significant milestones across its digital portfolio during 2020.
• One billion video views across all platforms
• #1 Australian commercial news brand on YouTube
• #1 most engaged Australian media brand on Facebook
YouTube views grew more than +600% year-on-year, now accounting for half of the network’s digital reach with 500 million views. Sky News Australia became the first Australian commercial news brand to reach 1 million subscribers on the platform. Throughout 2020, Sky News Australia reached an average monthly unique audience of 13.5 million on YouTube, including 4 million Australians per month.
Engagement with audiences on Facebook grew by +292% year-on-year, with more than 16.5 million engagements, placing Sky News Australia at the top of the platform’s ratings for the past three consecutive months.
The rapid growth extended to Sky News’ own website SkyNews.com.au where video views grew +300% year-on-year.
SKY NEWS ON WIN
Commercial regional free-to-air news channel Sky News on WIN experienced strong year-on-year audience growth in 2020.
All Day (2am – 2am) average audiences increased by +38% year-on -year, with a channel record commercial share of 2.0% up +1.5 share points, reaching 3.9 million unique viewers.
In Primetime (6pm-10pm) average audiences grew by +37%, achieving a channel record share of 2.1%, up 1.6 share points, reaching 2.8 million unique viewers.
Sky News on WIN launched in September 2018 and broadcasts in 30 markets across WIN’s regional network throughout Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, and state-wide across Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
Sources:
*Channel Ranking source: OzTAM National STV: Linear data, Overnight, TTL TV Share%, 0200-2559, Total People. Wks 1-47.
*Regular Programs source: OzTAM National STV: Linear data, Overnight, Average Audience, 1Min Cume Reach, 0200-2559, Total People. Wks 5-47 Vs. STLY.
*Program cumes source: OzTAM National STV: Linear data, Overnight, Total Minutes, 0200-2559, Total People
Foxtel GO/Now data: OzTAM BVOD, Video On Demand, BVOD Audience, Total Minutes, 0000-2359, Total People, OzTAM BVOD excludes legacy Play devices
GO/Now Stream Starts: Viewing sessions which are 15 seconds or more. Does not include navigation time, or integrated app time
*SNOW Source: Regional TAM Data; Overnight Data; Combined Agg. Markets incl. TAS/WA; Weeks 5-47 2020 vs same period 2019; Sky News on WIN; 02:00-26:00, 18:00-22:00; Sunday-Saturday; Cume Reach (1 Minute), Audience, Commercial Share, Average Weekly Reach (Cume Reach – 1 Minute); Total People
Aggregated online video view sources: Adobe Analytics, Brightcove Analytics, YouTube Analytics, Facebook Analytics, Microsoft MSN Analytics. 2020 vs 2019.
YouTube subscriber source: YouTube – Sky News Australia vs Seven News, Nine News, Channel Ten.
Facebook engagement source: Crowdtangle, ‘Australian Media’ Audience Interactions ratings.