BBC and ITV News ratings soar as UK temperatures plummet during severe weather
Millions of viewers are tuning in to the evening news for the latest snow updates and weather forecasts
Published:
Viewers have been tuning into BBC and ITV national and local news in their millions as the UK struggles to cope with freezing temperatures and snow storms.
The ‘Beast from the East’ has resulted in a significant spike in news and weather viewing figures, as people look for travel updates and forecasts for their local area.
On Thursday 1st March at 6pm, over 11 million people tuned in to BBC News or ITV Evening News according to overnight figures seen by RadioTimes.com.
Animals brave snow and freezing temperatures
As the UK freezes after the spell dubbed the Beast from the East, creatures great and small are braving the snow blizzards and biting winds.http://bbc.in/2t72yV1
Posted by BBC News on Friday, March 2, 2018
Meanwhile the regional news programmes, including the all-important weather forecasts, received a combined total of 13.8 million viewers across the BBC and ITV in the early evening.
The BBC and ITV local news shows rated over 14 million between them last night. Extraordinary.
— Richard Osman (@richardosman) March 2, 2018
At 10pm, 7.1 million watched the main BBC and ITV news shows and 6.5 million stayed tuned for the regional news.
#BeastFromTheEast boosts TV news audiences for the main @itvnews and @BBCNews bulletins on Wednesday. On @ITV alone the 6pm Regional News and the @ITVEveningNews had largest audiences since December 2014.
— Richard Frediani (@BBCFrediani) March 1, 2018
The previous day, on 28th February, 10 million watched the news at 6pm and 7.1 million watched at 10pm. Senior Programme Editor for ITV Evening News Richard Frediani said that it was the “largest audience” for the broadcaster’s news programme since December 2014.
