Channel 4 News posted record digital growth in 2024.
Channel 4 News posted record digital growth in 2024, underscoring young people’s desire for trusted, duly impartial news in a fragmented social media world.
Released today, its annual figures reflect the unprecedented demand for the news provider’s expanding multi-platform offer, championing depth, analysis and long-form content for a growing young, global audience.
Driven by climate change, politics and global news, it was Channel 4 News’ TikTok channel that experienced the most significant gains, amassing over 1 billion total views and accounting for 57% of the digital share for the year – more than double the volume compared to 2023. Follower growth was equally impressive, increasing 1.5 times.
Youth audiences remained particularly engaged on this platform, with 33.4% under 25 and some 67% of 2024 viewers under the age of 35. By genre, audience share across the platform included 31% for world news, 24% for US and UK politics, and 13% for climate content.
Today’s update comes ahead of Channel 4’s latest major study, ‘Gen Z: Trends, Truth and Trust’ – due for publication on January 30th, which explores young people’s complex lives, the pressures they face, and their trust in information sources.
Indeed, throughout the year, Channel 4 News – the flagship sub brand of Channel 4 – engaged its 14.2 million social followers in timely, accurate and distinctive coverage of global conflict.
As the violence in Gaza spread through to Lebanon and Yemen, fighting continued in Ukraine and we witnessed the end days of the repressive Assad Regime in Syria, Channel 4 News saw over 407 million views across platforms since October 7th 2023.
YouTube once again remained the platform for maximum viewer engagement across all content. Audiences watched for over 875 million minutes, as the brand brought trusted long-form content to 430,000 new subscribers.
Channel 4 News was one of the earliest adopters of the YouTube-first approach, with its channel launched in October 2010. This trend is now mirrored by an increasing number of media organisations who announced deals with the platform last year, following Channel 4 unveiling its digital-first approach in its FastForward strategy.
As Channel 4 News increased its prominence on the broadcaster’s own streaming service, Channel 4 Streaming, Channel 4 saw similar appeal for journalism and an expanding current affairs output that favoured engaging, original content.
Streaming exclusives cross-posted to YouTube including the fast turnaround ‘Trump: The Comeback King’ emerged as a standout, with half a million views on YouTube and one of the highest average watch times of the year at 12 minutes and 37 seconds.
Elsewhere, while US and UK politics saw continuous engagement, breakout successes included the landmark investigation into the historic abuse in the Church of England which led to the downfall of the Archbishop of Canterbury, with over 5.7 million views across social channels, as well as over 110 thousand views exclusively on Channel 4 streaming.
Coverage of the US Presidential election saw more than 86 million video views across our digital channels, with the Channel 4 News exclusive doorsteps with Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi particularly resonating with audiences. UK political content, including the general election and our exclusive Reform Investigation, generated over 92 million views.
This update comes as Channel 4 News asserts its pedigree as one of the UK’s leading independent, public service media organisations, after winning News Provider of the Year at the 2024 British Journalism Awards, following a record-breaking year with the International Emmy, Bafta and RTS.
Esme Wren, Channel 4 News’s Editor said:
“Leveraging the first-mover advantage that has kept Channel 4 News front and centre of digital innovation for decades, we have once again found significant success this year servicing demand from a growing, global young audience. We are proud of the engagement in our public interest news and current affairs output, punching well above our weight. It shows a clear return on investment when trust and truth are prioritised and funded in the digital space – values that are as vital now as ever.”
Louisa Compton, Channel 4’s Head of News and Current Affairs and Specialist Factual and Sport said:
“Channel 4 News is the jewel in Channel 4’s crown. In 2025 the need for high quality, regulated, duly impartial, trusted and fact checked news which holds power to account has never been greater – and we are delighted that viewers continue to flock to our output for the best presentation, reporting and analysis in the business.”
As Channel 4 News continues to evolve its multi-platform strategy through 2025, it live streamed a special Inauguration programme on Channel 4 Streaming, available now here.