UK TV Reach: Samaa TV inches closer to Geo News

After ARY News’ exit from the UK market, rival Pakistani channels have failed to lure audiences leftover by the popular channel, according to official data from BARB for week ending Sunday 5th February.

While the channels have witnessed no significant rise in their viewership, Samaa TV has come inches closer to overtaking Geo News from the pole position. Geo News, which is now the UK’s most watched South Asian news channel, delivered a reach of 241,000 viewers (last week 264,000 viewers), followed by Samaa TV with 232,000 viewers. Its audience jumped from 155,000 viewers the week before. In third place was NDTV 24×7 with 207,000 viewers, followed by Geo Tez with 184,000 viewers, Dunya News with 155,000 viewers, ABP News with 133,000 viewers and Aaj Tak with 109,000 viewers. The bottom two channels remained Times Now with 50,000 viewers and News18 with 29,000 viewers.

Star Plus was comfortably the most watched South Asian news channel in the UK with 935,000 viewers (last week 865,000 viewers), followed by Sony SAB TV with 568,000 viewers (last week 436,000 viewers) and Colors with 531,000 viewers (last week 585,000 viewers). In fourth was Zing with 527,000 viewers, followed by &TV with 512,000 viewers, B4U Music with 498,000 viewers, Rishtey Cineplex with 487,000 viewers, Star Gold with 474,000 viewers, Rishtey with 471,000 viewers, Life OK with 404,000 viewers and Hum TV with 359,000 viewers.

The bottom tier consisted of Prime TV with 246,000 viewers, followed by Geo TV with 230,000 viewers, PTV Global with 172,000 viewers, Star Utsav with 161,000 viewers, ATN Bangla with 152,000 viewers, Venus TV with 151,000 viewers, PTC Punjabi with 144,000 viewers, Brit Asia TV with 112,000 viewers, Sikh Channel with 103,000 viewers and Akaal Channel with 85,000 viewers.