Further detail: December 2025 TV market detail page | TV Market Update hub.
December 2025: final editorial review
- The Traitors – BBC – 25.1m
- New Year’s Eve Fireworks – BBC – 21.9m
- Strictly Come Dancing – BBC – 17.1m
- I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! – ITV – 16.6m
- The Night Manager – BBC – 15.0m
- Amandaland – BBC – 14.6m
- The Scarecrow’s Wedding – BBC – 14.6m
- Call the Midwife – BBC – 13.0m
- The King – BBC – 12.9m
- Death in Paradise – BBC – 12.7m
December was massively BBC-heavy at the very top, which is normal for Christmas viewing. That does not mean commercial TV was weak; it means advertisers needed to buy around the big public-service moments. ITV’s I’m a Celebrity was the obvious commercial scale play early in the month, while ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Channel 5, UKTV and BVOD packages carried the practical Christmas advertising load.
Campaign activity was led by supermarkets, Christmas retail, travel, finance, delivery, entertainment, charity and post-Christmas planning. Creative quality mattered more than usual because so many brands were trying to own emotion, memory and family context at the same time.
The buying read: December is about trust and mental availability, not just response. The smartest plans avoided blowing the budget on a tiny number of obvious moments and used portfolio coverage to stay visible through the whole Christmas period.
December 2025 was a month for looking at TV as a buying market, not just a viewing habit. The useful question for advertisers was where commercial attention could still be bought with confidence, and where demand was likely to push pricing up.
Commercial programming and viewing
December was a classic reach and emotion month for commercial TV. ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Channel 5 and UKTV delivered Christmas entertainment, films, sport, factual comfort viewing and family co-viewing. The strongest commercial contexts were those that felt safe, shared and suitable for brand storytelling.
Advertiser and category movement
Supermarkets, retail, finance, travel, entertainment, alcohol where compliant, delivery and charity advertisers were active. The commercial value of TV in December was not just direct sales; it was mental availability, trust and salience before January decision-making.
Broadcaster, agency and platform news
The year ended with continued pressure on broadcasters to simplify premium video buying and prove effectiveness. The Channel 4 leadership story also mattered commercially because the broadcaster is publicly owned but advertising-funded; leadership, sales strategy and platform direction all affect buyer confidence.
Cost of TV and buying conditions
December was expensive where it mattered most. Premium Christmas and sport positions carried scarcity. Buyers who only wanted the obvious spots paid for them; buyers with broader portfolios could still build coverage through multichannel, daytime, late peak and BVOD.
Media buying view
- Use December TV for trust and memory, not just last-click response.
- Avoid over-concentration in a small number of expensive Christmas spots.
- Use post-Christmas value windows to extend campaigns into January efficiently.