40 years on from its creation, Channel 4’s role has never been more vital to the UK, as it delivers a unique public service for viewers, invests hundreds of millions of pounds into the creative economy and supports tens of thousands of jobs across the UK.
Read more2021 saw Channel 4 enthral audiences, deliver on its remit and successfully continue its transformation into a digital, young PSB. It was a strong year creatively and Channel 4 has never been more representative of the entirety of the UK.
Read moreIn 2022, we will be doubling down on what we were created for: giving a voice to the unheard, challenging conventional thinking, and being a nurturing hothouse for the new – be it talent, ideas, or ways of making and distributing television.
Read moreThis heart-filled British musical is a multicoloured pride parade of joy.
@Time OutI hope that every LGBTQ+ young person in the UK & beyond gets the chance to watch this, ideally with a parent/guardian. I could have done with a film like this when I was a kid 🌈❤️
We aim to create change in the wider world through all of our activities: from TV, to streaming, social media and film – and our day-to-day roles at Channel 4. It’s the impact that Channel 4 has on society, on viewers, on British culture, on the creative industries and on the wider economy. It’s why Channel 4 is – and will continue to be – altogether different.
View our purposeChannel 4 has a strong commitment to representing the whole of the UK. It means using our strong brand and wide reach to elevate unheard voices – from diverse communities, emerging writers and producers, to those who have different points of view or experiences.
We are here to challenge groupthink and hold power to account. We don’t challenge for the sake of it. We are here to test boundaries and challenge conventions, to inspire reflection and critical thought.
Channel 4 has a long-established role as an innovator in the creative industries across ‘entertainment’ in the broadest sense: we challenge ourselves to continuously refresh what we do creatively; to develop new and emerging talent; to find new ways of reaching audiences; and to find new ways of working with our partners.
This is a show about a diverse group of women and for it to be about joy feels radical.
Channel 4 launched its Future4 plan last year to ensure it can continue to deliver significant impact for UK audiences and significant investment into the UK creative economy.
We have made strong progress on our way to achieving our five-year plan targets, well ahead of schedule. This is allowing us to deliver more value to viewers, to support more jobs across the UK, and to project British culture, values and creative excellence overseas.
A series well worth investigating.
@The Sunday TimesOne thing is for sure – original concepts are rare in TV right now. For that reason alone, it is worth tuning in again.
Despite the continued effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 was a record year for Channel 4 financially. Digital acceleration remained a key priority throughout the year, as we continued to excel as Britain’s biggest free streaming service.
Explore below
of total corporation revenue comes from digital advertising (2020: 17%)
the £224m record digital advertising revenue (+40% year-on-year) puts Channel 4 well on target to reach its 30% digital revenue Future4 target by 2025
growth in programme streaming views
we grew our programme streaming views to over 1.5 billion in 2021, the biggest ever increase in absolute terms and a second consecutive year of double-digit growth
free streaming service in the UK
with >14,500 hours of content available to stream on All 4
of total Channel 4 viewing from streaming
an increase from a proportion of 9.2% from streaming in 2020, demonstrating Channel 4’s digital acceleration
corporation revenue (+25%*)
a new record and exceeding £1 billion for the first time ever
* +25% on 2020, +18% on 2019
net cash reserves** (+£71m)
our record surplus has driven a £71 million increase in our cash reserves versus 2020, to reach our second highest-ever closing cash position and net assets of £566 million
** Net cash reserves reflect the sum of the Group’s cash and cash equivalents and other financial assets net of cash borrowings at the balance sheet date, defined on p205 of the Annual Report
pre-tax surplus (+£27m)
a record, highest ever, result for the second year running in 2021 and recognising a three-figure surplus for the first time ever
main channel viewing share growth since 2013
+3% growth in main channel viewing share to 6.1%, during a year in which audiences’ viewing habits started to return to normal after pandemic lockdowns in 2020
growth in main channel viewing share amongst ethnically diverse audiences to 5.4%
our highest ethnically diverse annual share since 2012
growth in viewing share to our TV channel portfolio to 10.3%
we increased our TV portfolio viewing share year-on-year for the second consecutive year
of the 10 youngest-profiling shows on the UK PSB channels were on Channel 4
as the public service broadcaster for young people, Channel 4 works hard to engage with its audience however and wherever they watch TV
of content sourced from SMEs based in the Nations and Regions (+8pts)
the highest ever volume of originated content on the main channel in Channel 4’s history, as we work to represent the whole of the UK. By spend, 55% of our expenditure was sourced from companies outside of London
total content spend (2020: £522m)
a significant year-on-year increase following 2020’s Covid-related reductions, as we reinvested our strong surplus from 2020 into the UK’s creative industries
spend on originated content (2020: £370m)
reflecting our impressive remit delivery and investment in the independent production sector
independent producers worked with in 2021 (2020: 161)
294 companies worked with in total, with growth particularly strong amongst digital media companies as our new Future4 strategy was rolled out