Channel4.com offers ‘app-like’ streaming experience
May 14, 2024
Channel4.com is now bringing an ‘app-like’ Channel 4 streaming experience to mobiles, tablets, laptops and other connected devices.
Channel 4 says the upgrades reflect Gen Z’s growing desire to watch its content on multiple screens, and advances its role in serving young audiences. In 2023, nearly one million 13-24’s streamed Channel 4 via a PC or a laptop, with such viewing up 17 per cent year on year in 2024. 16-34s are the biggest single cohort (49 per cent) of Channel4.com streamers, with Gen Z representing 20 per cent of the accounts that viewed Channel4.com.
The new additions to Channel4.com’s offer focus on increasing engagement with this growing cohort of young audiences and creating a better experience for this generation of digital natives across multiple Channel 4 platforms.
Updates to Channel4.com include:
· show-led design, with each page packed with wide-screen video and stand-out imagery to make hit shows easier to find.
· a viewing experience which mirrors what streamers expect from apps, with easy to browse episode grids tailored for viewing on the go.
· as part of its commitment to an inclusive experience for all, the streaming player now features better audio description, sign-language and sub-titles signposting, plus improved navigation.
· Improved guidance options around ratings, accessibility, and stream definition.
All Channel 4 streamers – whether they access via channel4.com or one of its Apps – can also now see improved personalised recommendations, based on Channel 4’s distinctive remit and viewers’ tastes. Changes include the ordering of content, blending Channel 4’s recommendations with streamers’ viewing history, plus, a ‘recency boost’, where show recommendations prioritise recently watched shows.
Streaming-First Content
Across Channel 4 streaming over the coming months, users will see an evolving content line-up tailor-made for streaming. Channel 4 streamers can expect more standout shows such as drama series The Gathering, comedy Queenie, hard hitting documentary Merseyside Detectives (w/t), and popular reality series Married At First Sight. Channel 4 streaming will also bring more of the biggest hits from overseas, offering audience favourites such as US classics ER and The X Files, reality shows like Dance Moms and new scripted boxsets like The Great.
Channel 4 streaming will drop more box sets including We Are Lady Parts (season 2), debut more first-looks on streaming such as Hollyoaks, and, more streaming exclusives such as Murder of Laci Peterson and Untold: The Rise and Rise of Taylor Swift coming soon.
Kiran Nataraja, Director of Streaming and Content Strategy, Channel 4, said: “Channel 4 streamers can look forward to a content line-up that’s distinctive, entertaining and truly stands out – with our commissions reflecting our Britishness, purpose and irreverent attitude that speaks to young audiences. We’re also going to give audiences a more seamless, connected and accessible viewing experience across all of Channel 4’s services and platforms. These enhancements support our plan to become the first public service streamer.”