Special Report: B4U Plus yet to make headway in UK ratings

Its been a couple of months since B4U Network launched its first general entertainment channel, B4U Plus in the UK. BizAsiaLive.com looks little deeper into how the channel has been performing in its first few weeks on-air.

What the numbers say
B4U Plus launched with weekly reach data of 104,000 viewers in its first week of launch (week ending Sunday 21st April). Since then, the channel has struggled to climb beyond these numbers. In its second week of launch, the channel lost ground, with numbers dwindling to 90,000 viewers (28th April).

In subsequent weeks, B4U Plus’ weekly reach plummeted and has remained below the 50,000 mark. In data for week ending Sunday 5th May, the channel delivered a reach of just 31,000 viewers, followed by 34,000 viewers (12th May), picking up slightly to 51,000 viewers during week ending Sunday 19th May. Post this, the channel registered 46,000 viewers and 44,000 viewers for week ending 26th May and 2nd June respectively.

What the content says
The channel’s content is dependent on shows from Pakistani broadcaster, A Plus. In the UK, A Plus proved a disappointment first time around when it was placed much lower down the rankings compared to rival Pakistani channels.

In its second coming via B4U Plus, A Plus content has thusfar failed to connect with viewers. Since its inception, B4U Plus’ biggest attractions have been dramas ‘Bhai’ with 4,800 viewers, ‘Meherban’ with 3,600 viewers, ‘Ek Nae Subha with Farah’ with 2,000 viewers. However, worryingly none of the channel’s shows have crossed the 5,000 mark.

It is also worth noting that while other Pakistani TV channels benefited from the all-important Ramadan and Eid period, B4U Plus, which boasts of Urdu programming, remained on the lower-end of the spectrum.

B4U Music & B4U Movies stay strong
Despite B4U Plus’ poor run, B4U Music and B4U Movies continue to perform strongly. B4U Music stays ahead of its competition in the UK South Asian music genre, while B4U Movies remains amongst the most watched Hindi movie channels. The network’s strong presence in the UK, could eventually boost B4U Plus’ UK ratings. However, an overlook at its content and strategy ahead would probably be in order.