In a jaw-dropping twist that's shaking up the UK's media world, GB News has snatched the crown from Sky News to become Britain's top commercial news channel for the year 2025—marking the end of a long-standing reign. If you're baffled by how this newcomer disrupted a giant, stick around; we're about to break it down in simple terms, with all the juicy details you need to follow along.
For context, Sky News has been the undisputed leader in the 24-hour commercial news space since kicking off in 1989. But according to the latest official BARB (Broadcasters' Audience Research Board) data, that dominance crumbled in 2025. Imagine BARB as the official scoreboard for TV viewership in the UK—it measures who’s tuning in and for how long, giving us reliable stats on audience habits. On this scoreboard, GB News clocked in with an average of 80,000 viewers per month across the year, edging out Sky News' 74,000 by over nine percent. That's like flipping the script on a decades-old favorite!
GB News isn't just winning for a flash in the pan; it's poised to top the charts as Britain's number one news channel for six straight months, surpassing both the BBC News Channel and Sky News. December's BARB figures suggest it'll hold the top spot, just like it did from July through November. Picture this: since the start of the year, GB News outperformed Sky News on 223 out of 350 days—that's a whopping 64 percent of the time. And talk about consistency; it claimed the top spot as the UK's premier non-public service broadcasting (PSB) channel for 48 days in 2025, which is 200 percent more than Sky News' mere 16 days. For beginners, non-PSB channels are privately owned ones like GB News, not funded by public money like the BBC.
Even the average time viewers spent glued to the screen is higher for GB News. Known as ATV (Average Time Viewed), it hit 94 hours for GB News compared to Sky News' 86 hours—a 12 percent bump. This metric tells us how engaged audiences are; more hours mean people are sticking around longer, perhaps because the content resonates.
But here's where it gets really interesting—the growth doesn't stop at traditional TV. On linear television, which is the classic broadcast kind you watch live, GB News now reaches about 1.02 million unique viewers every day, a solid 19 percent jump from the previous year. That's millions of Brits discovering a fresh voice in news.
And this is the part most people miss: the digital explosion. GB News isn't just thriving on cable; it's booming online. In 2025, it racked up around 2.6 billion video views and streams, skyrocketing from about 0.8 billion in 2024—a massive 230 percent increase. This surge was fueled by rapid expansion on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and connected TV (CTV), which lets you watch TV programs through apps on smart devices. For example, TikTok alone saw views leap from 656 million in 2024 to 1.82 billion in 2025, an 180 percent rise—think viral short clips delivering news in bite-sized, engaging ways.
Facebook wasn't far behind, with video views more than tripling from 32 million to 98 million, up about 200 percent. YouTube grew more modestly but steadily, at 6.4 percent, with monthly views climbing from 55 million to 58 million. Even CTV plays edged up slightly, from roughly 1.85 million per month in late 2024 to 1.86 million in 2025. GB News has been the UK's top non-PSB channel for 45 days so far this year and now ranks among the top six in that category overall.
GB News CEO Angelos Frangopoulos summed it up perfectly: “GB News has proven that journalism which puts the people first deeply connects with communities across the nation. The people of Britain trust us to provide journalism which is fearless and bold—and we will continue to deliver it.” This success comes hot on the heels of a year packed with high-profile stories. In November, they landed a world-exclusive interview with Donald Trump, which not only became the channel's most-viewed interview ever but also drew global buzz. Plus, they've aired exclusive investigations into topics like grooming gangs and immigration, shining a light on stories that some argue other outlets have overlooked.
And this is where things get controversial—GB News' focus on these 'fearless and bold' investigations, such as those delving into immigration and grooming gangs, has sparked heated debates. Critics might say it's sensationalism, while supporters hail it as necessary exposure of overlooked issues. Mr. Frangopoulos added, “Across all our platforms, GB News is setting new records for growth and engagement at a time when the editorial standards of others are being brought into question. 2025 has also seen a significant international expansion of GB News, something which will be accelerated in 2026 to see GB News become an international voice of the UK.”
To dive deeper into how GB News dethroned Sky News, let's look at the numbers. Linear TV reach—meaning the total unique individuals tuning in—grew year over year. In 2024, it averaged 860,000 per day; by 2025, that jumped to 1.02 million, a 19.2 percent increase. Digital viewing exploded even faster, with total events across TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and CTV hitting 0.8 billion in 2024 and soaring to 2.6 billion in 2025, a 230 percent leap. TikTok led the charge, as mentioned, but Facebook's growth was explosive too, and YouTube saw steady gains. CTV plays also ticked up, showing viewers are embracing news in new formats.
What do you make of this shift? Do you see GB News' rise as a healthy shake-up for media diversity, or does it raise concerns about biased reporting? Could their emphasis on certain stories like immigration be a fresh take on accountability, or is it just stirring division? Share your thoughts in the comments—let's discuss!
