News UK’s TalkTV has hit one million subscribers on Youtube, three months after the closure of its linear TV channel.
The channel also told Press Gazette that digital revenues are up, with July set to be its biggest-ever for revenue on Youtube specifically.
TalkTV launched in April 2022, initially by focusing on a primetime evening television offering alongside visualised content from Talkradio in the daytime.
Two years on, in April this year TalkTV had its final day on linear TV, where it had been available on Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.
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News UK EVP, president of broadcasting Scott Taunton explained that a “large proportion” of live viewing was already through streaming on TVs rather than traditional channel viewing, alongside clips being shared on social media, and the investment needed to go “on where the eyeballs are and where the revenues are in growth” instead of expensive linear slot fees.
As well as Talkradio on DAB and smart speakers, the visual TalkTV content is still available through the Talk app as well as on Youtube.
The Youtube channel airs Talk’s live programming as well as shorter clips from its shows of any length up to about 20 minutes.
News UK told Press Gazette on Friday that TalkTV’s Youtube subscribers have grown by 185% in 18 months to take it above the one million mark.
The publisher also said TalkTV, under the tagline of “the home of common sense”, is now receiving more than 50 million views per month on Youtube.
A snapshot of the channel’s latest 30 videos which had been posted for more than a day at the time of writing (Friday afternoon) showed those clips had gained on average 38,000 views each.
News Broadcasting director of digital Derek Brown said: “Talk is enjoying healthy digital growth. Revenues are up, international audiences are expanding and it is in prime position to embrace the digital future of viewing habits.
“Everyone from the presenters to the producers understand their audience intimately, they’ve all done a great job in hitting the one million milestone.”
Dennie Morris, director of audio at News Broadcasting, added: “The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to the content being produced by Talk, and how it’s being consumed by listeners and viewers.”
On radio alone, Talkradio had a weekly reach of 757,000 people in the first quarter of 2024, according to the latest RAJAR figures.
The individual Youtube channel for Piers Morgan Uncensored, which was TalkTV’s flagship show before it separated out and went digital-only in February, reached one million subscribers last year and three million earlier this month.
Morgan’s recent hit videos have included interviews with the alleged real-life Baby Reindeer stalker Fiona Harvey, her alleged first victim, and disgraced actor Armie Hammer who is accused of sexual abuse and of whom Morgan asked: “Are you a cannibal?”
Rival GB News, which launched in June 2021 almost a year ahead of TalkTV, passed the one million subscriber mark on Youtube in October and now has 1.3 million.
Radio rival LBC has not yet hit the same milestone and is currently on 831,000 Youtube subscribers.
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