UK soap opera Hollyoaks is making its way to YouTube to open up its audience to everyone worldwide for free.
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In a sign of just how much the industry of television is changing, British soap opera Hollyoaks is embarking on a project that will see it delivered to everyone on the planet with an internet connection. Episodes will now appear on YouTube globally one week after their debut on Channel 4 in the UK.
Hollyoaks, known for its appeal to a younger audience, has been a trailblazer in digital distribution. Its YouTube trial in the UK over the past year was a success, with the show amassing 5.8 Million minutes of watch time in the first quarter of 2024. Notably, 67% of this viewership came from the 13-34 year-old demographic.
Lime Pictures Joint Managing Director, Kate Little said of the announcement, “Hollyoaks is always synonymous with digital firsts and I am delighted that the show’s global audience will now be able to find and watch episodes when they want on YouTube.” They went on to add, “With a proven track record of enticing younger viewers with gripping storytelling and engaging characters, this digitally-led offering of episodes will allow new and existing audiences worldwide to get their Hollyoaks fix with ease.”
At first, 20 episodes will be made available to allow new viewers to experience the soap opera. From then on, they will receive new episodes at the same time as the UK release on the Hollyoaks YouTube channel.
According to a recent Nielsen report, YouTube accounts for 9.7% of all TV viewing in the U.S. While Hollyoaks may be the first to try this as a global distribution platform, it seems as though it may not be the last.
