BBC's Arabic Services Record Record Audiences from 'Arab Spring'

Overall audiences to the BBC’s Arabic services have risen by more than 50% to a record high of 33.4 million adults weekly - up from 21.6 million before the ‘Arab Spring’.

BBC Arabic TV’s audience has risen to 24.4million from 13.5million – up by more than 80 per cent. Weekly reach across Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabic, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco has nearly doubled to a weekly reach of 18.4% from 9.8%.*

The weekly audience estimates are based on an independent study that was carried out by the Broadcasting Board of Governors’ International Audience Research Program (IARP). Surveys were conducted in Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabic, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco.

Biggest increases were seen in Egypt, where the BBC Arabic TV audience quadrupled to a weekly reach of 16.2%, reaching 9.3 million people.

Liliane Landor, Controller, Languages, BBC Global News, said: “In turbulent times, the BBC’s aim to provide trusted news and impartial information is more valued than ever across the Middle East and North Africa.”

“These impressive figures show that international audiences are increasingly turning to the BBC for independent news that they can trust.

“In an increasingly competitive TV market, it demonstrates there will always be space for high-quality journalism that seeks to inform all, even-handedly.

Other headlines include:

• BBC Arabic TV saw its weekly audience increase by 5.1% in Iraq to a weekly reach of 26.6% (from 21.5%) - reaching 4.9 million people
• BBC Arabic TV saw its weekly audience more than double in Jordan (weekly reach of 22.4% from 8.8 per cent) and in Saudi Arabia (weekly reach of 24.6% from 12.2%) broadcasting to a combined total of 3.6 million people
• In Morocco, BBC Arabic TV saw its weekly audience rise by almost four per cent.
• The weekly audience estimate for BBC Arabic’s radio services fell from 11.5million to 10.1million, reflecting wider changes in the region in how audiences are consuming news via other technologies.
• BBC Arabic Online saw tremendous growth as a result of the Arab Spring with visitors to the site and page impressions peaking in February and remaining high in March.