Record overnight audiences tuned into the BBC’s live Glastonbury TV coverage this weekend, with Elton John’s epic performance watched by a peak audience of 7.6 million on BBC One.
As 200,000 festival goers enjoyed music across different stages on Worthy Farm, a record 21.6m people, over a third of the UK population, watched the BBC’s Glastonbury TV coverage with over 40 hours of linear programming available to audiences. The audience was up 7% on last year across linear television.
Elton John’s headline set on Sunday night on BBC One received the biggest ever overnight audience for a Glastonbury set with a 5 min peak overnight audience of 7.6m and average of 7.3 million / 48.9% share. The performance was also broadcast on BBC Radio 2, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
Lorna Clarke, Director of Music, says: “What an incredible way to end this year’s Glastonbury festival! Elton John’s set will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most epic performances ever to light up the Pyramid Stage and was watched by a record 7.6 million people on BBC One. I’m so delighted the BBC and our superb teams were able to share every bit of the magic from Worthy Farm during the weekend with audiences at home. People can catch Elton John’s unmissable set and all our other content now on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer, which also has over 90 other sets from across the Glastonbury stages.”
Friday’s headliner Artic Monkeys saw a record performance for a Friday night headline set – broadcast on BBC One for the first time – with a 5 min peak audience of 2.6m and an average of 1.5m. Audiences for Saturday’s headliner Guns N’ Roses on BBC Two peaked at 2.1m, with an average audience of 1m. And Lewis Capaldi’s and Lizzo’s Pyramid Stage performances on Saturday had a peak BBC One audience peak 2.4m and average 2.3m viewers.
The Legends programme with Yusuf/Cat Stevens on Sunday reached the biggest BBC Two audience this year with an overnight 5 min peak audience of 3m and an average of 2.3m, and the BBC One show with Rick Astley and Blondie had a 5 min peak audience of 2.5m and an average of 2.1m.
Following a recent multi-year extension, the BBC is Glastonbury Festival’s exclusive, multimedia broadcast partner. This year there was more live coverage than ever before with a record number of hours on BBC One and more programming in the lead up, including an updated version of Glastonbury: 50 Years and Counting, plus further content to discover on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer, with scale and discovery is at the heart of the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage. The BBC delivered over 40 hours of coverage across it’s TV channels, 85 hours of live radio broadcasts, content on BBC Sounds, and an increase in scale and accessibility on BBC iPlayer, with even more themed and live streams. And for the first time, the BBC streamed the Pyramid Stage performances live in British Sign Language, making our coverage more accessible than ever before.
Our thanks once again go to Emily and Michael Eavis, for allowing the BBC to bring their treasured festival to so many music fans throughout the weekend and beyond.
Glastonbury is commissioned for television and radio by Lorna Clarke, BBC Director of Music. The BBC’s Glastonbury TV coverage is produced by BBC Studios Music Productions. The Executive Producer is Alison Howe and the Commissioning Editor is Jonathan Rothery, BBC Head of Popular Music TV.
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE.com’s newest interviews and special features on YOUTUBE and updated regularly. See things first SUBSCRIBE here: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE
