Killing Eve Ranks as BBC iPlayer’s Biggest Show of the Year

The sophomore season of the spy thriller Killing Eve has topped the list as BBC iPlayer’s biggest series of the year, followed in a distant second place by season five of Line of Duty.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Golden Globe-nominated show saw 40.4 million requests on iPlayer, more than 10 million requests more than the next closest series. The police thriller Line of Duty’s fifth series took the second spot, with 27.4 million requests, with the period crime drama Peaky Blinders’ fifth season just behind it at 26.6 million. Strictly Come Dancing, in its 17th cycle, drew 23.9 million requests.

Killing Eve’s first season also made the top ten, notching up 22.3 million requests. Going back to 2018, the two seasons of Killing Eve combined have now generated a whopping 105 million requests in total.

Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag season two came in sixth with 20.3 million requests, with the rest of the top ten, in consecutive order, consisting of The Apprentice (season 15), The Capture, MasterChef (season 15) and Silent Witness (season 22).

Charlotte Moore, director of content for the BBC, said: “It’s been a huge year for BBC iPlayer—as well as record-breaking figures, it’s become an entertainment destination in its own right; and with approval for new programs to be available for a minimum of 12 months, this will deliver real value for license-fee payers. In 2020 we will go even further to make it the best watch ever from binge-worthy series to the biggest live TV moments.”

Dan McGolpin, controller of iPlayer for the BBC, added: “This year we’ve seen some of television’s most exciting shows return to BBC iPlayer, from Killing Eve to Line of Duty and from Peaky Blinders to Fleabag, the number of program requests we’ve received has been incredible. What’s also really satisfying is that brand new series such as The Capture, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, His Dark Materials and Seven Worlds, One Planet have also generated large audiences. Together with our live event coverage, this year including Glastonbury, the Women’s World Cup and the General Election 2019, BBC iPlayer is a unique service that is going to get even bigger and better in 2020.”