New Alternative News Channel "GB News" chaired by Andrew Neil launching - read OP before posting

GB News up 14,000 subscribers on YouTube since the first episode of Farage on Monday - from 158,000 to now 172,000.

The positive aspect of social media is that, if GB News can dominate social media in ways other stations do not, it will translate into greater TV channel viewership figures in the coming weeks and months; a positive feedback loop.

Of course not.

GB News is only 1-month old.

Once the station is carried by social media, if they can continue the trend upward, it will in some way translate into greater TV viewership - which may be online, through their (excellent) mobile app, or through conventional television.

These are early, but promising figures.

In a year the landscape will look very different, of that I have no doubt.

The fact you're relying on hypotheticals and can't point to any consistent viewership is pretty indicative of how poorly they are doing. Eg their YouTube subscriptions has had no impact of viewership of the channel.

Figures are not as apocalyptic as you and others have suggested.

For instance, take a look at the more recent figures:

"Just weeks after coming on air, GB News' viewing figures fell to a low of 11,700 on Saturday, industry figures have shown. Last Wednesday the channel slumped to 13,300 and an average weekly audience rating of 14,900. In contrast, following the channel's opening on June 13, it hit an average of 45,529 in its first week.

Due to the addition of Mr Farage, the channel received nearly an average of 100,000 viewers during his Monday evening slot."

GB News is here to stay.

People here were gloating and saying that the addition of Farage meant the end of the channel.

I was one of the few who suggested otherwise, and I turned out to be right - again.

Many here have references BARB stats, suggesting they are all that matter.

Here is the report for the first month, and GB News is doing rather well for only it's first month!

"GB News reached about 3.7m viewers on linear TV in its first month on air – just over a quarter of the BBC News Channel audience.

However, the fledgling brand said social media engagement figures show it is resonating with younger audiences to a perhaps surprising extent.

Head of digital and presenter Rebecca Hutson (pictured) said GB News is really a “digital media business that has a TV channel attached”.

In the four weeks to 11 July GB News reached 3.7m viewers compared to 12.6m for BBC News, 8.4m for Sky News and 4.6m for Sky Sports News according to Barb (the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board)."

GB News is here to stay.

I did read the 100,000 figure for Farage but once again, the question arises on if his viewership will remain consistently high. Eg Andrew Neil's didn't... Also the very fact you're relying on an individual to get any viewers, that's not great news for a 24 hour channel.

The viewing figures for their first month were abysmal. They had a first good night and generally tanked after that. So ya, they very much so are treating Farage as their savior.

I disagree.

You are desperately trying to detach Farage from Brexit as if he and his supporters are some extremist fringe minority.

Having closely watched the Brexit Wars over the past 10 years, I can safely say that the arguments that Farage trotted out were precisely the same arguments trotted out by those from across the length and breadth of the political spectrum, both Left and Right.

The idea that there is something particularly ghastly about Nigel Farage is demonstrably false. He lives and died on his arguments, and it is those arguments that the British people backed on 23 June, 2016.

Let's not forget that, in the two proportional representation votes in 2014 and 2019, Farage swept the board in the European elections - the first time since 1906 that a party other than Labour or Conservative managed to achieve.

You can malign Farage all you wish, but I have every confidence that the vast, vast majority of Brexit voters have his back.