London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025

The Crown new season watched by 1.1m in UK on launch day, first official ratings say

The Crown new season watched by 1.1m in UK on launch day, first official ratings say

More than a million people in the UK watched the new series of The Crown on its first day of release, the drama's first official TV ratings show.

Netflix joined ratings system Barb last week, meaning viewing figures for the streaming giant's UK audience are available for the first time.

About 1.1 million people saw at least one episode of The Crown's season five on TV sets on Wednesday, Barb said.

That compares with 7.9 million who watched I'm A Celebrity on ITV.

However, the audience for The Crown's new season - which launched amid a flurry of controversy and publicity - will watch over a longer period, rather than all tuning in on one day.

And more will view it on laptops, tablets and mobiles, which are not included in the Barb figures.

Season five depicts the fortunes of the Royal Family in the 1990s, and has been criticised for taking liberties with historical accuracy.

The Barb figures suggested 666,000 people kept watching for episode two, and almost 300,000 saw episode three.

The ratings declined for each subsequent episode until an audience of about 100 was registered for the 10th and final episode - presumably the number that binged the whole series in a single day after its launch at 08:00 GMT.


Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki play Prince Charles, as he was then, and Princess Diana in series five

TV critic Scott Bryan said it is now possible to compare ratings for programmes on traditional broadcast channels and streaming services.

"It does show that streaming services perhaps aren't as massive, in terms of having millions of people watching a new show, as you might think, and that still millions of people are preferring to watch a traditional linear channel instead, and then maybe watch a Netflix show later on," he told BBC News.

The Crown's first-day figures will swell substantially in the coming months, he added.

"I thought it would be higher, but it's still early days. There will be people who would want to watch it immediately. Also I expect millions more will be watching this weekend, and I think Christmas is a huge opportunity for streaming services, because many people will catch up with shows that they have been meaning to get around to.

"Shows such as I'm A Celebrity do really well because there's a sense of urgency. People have to watch it now to find out the latest storylines, but they're not going to be watching it in weeks' time.

"That's not the case with The Crown. These dramas are essentially much longer lasting. They tend to build over time."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
×