The BBC has reached a new milestone, with its global audience now exceeding half a billion people each week for the first time since records began.
Internationally, the BBC’s audience grew to 502 million, an increase of 11% compared to the previous year. This growth is across BBC News, the BBC World Service, and content distributed by BBC Studios.
BBC News alone increased its reach by nearly 50 million, now connecting with 467 million people weekly, a 12% rise year-on-year.
The BBC World Service accounts for over 70% of the BBC’s international audience, attracting 355 million people each week, up 14% from last year.
A significant factor in this expansion, the BBC says, has been the division’s digital transformation, which, alongside major global news events, has driven audience numbers. The BBC World Service’s digital audience grew by over 40% during the same period.
Jonathan Munro, Interim CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, commented: “We have seen growth from all corners of the globe as people come to our journalism in record-breaking numbers for the breadth and depth of BBC reporting.”
The BBC World Service has adapted to changing audience habits by increasing its focus on digital platforms and social media.
Last year, it launched BBC News Polska, the first new language service in seven years, and expanded its presence on TikTok across multiple language services.
In regions experiencing conflict, BBC News Ukrainian has seen its reach more than triple, now reaching more than one in five adults in Ukraine.
BBC News Persian, the largest Persian-language media outlet outside Iran, now reaches nearly 25 million people, with continued reliance from audiences during the US-Israel war with Iran and protests in Iran.
BBC News Brasil and BBC News Mundo also reported substantial audience growth, up 58% and 40% respectively, largely due to increased engagement on TikTok and Instagram.
Fiona Crack, Interim Global Director of BBC News, said: “The digital transformation of our global services means millions more people now benefit from the insightful, impactful journalism that our courageous and innovative teams continue to deliver.”
The BBC’s English-language news output across World Service English, BBC.com, and the BBC News channel reached 208 million people weekly, a 5% increase year-on-year. Notably, 76% of BBC World Service’s reach is in countries with low levels of press freedom.
India remains the BBC News’ largest international market, with audiences growing to 74 million weekly, followed by the United States, Nigeria, Iran, and Tanzania.
