Storm Claudia brought wild weather to the UK last week, sending Weather content soaring. Finance and business stayed in focus after the government backed away from tax hikes, while the release of Call of Duty 7 powered up Gaming content. Across entertainment, the London premiere of Wicked: For Good and the Booker Prize announcement lifted Film and Literature, while Children in Need sparked nationwide engagement across the board. Meanwhile, early Black Friday deals continued to build momentum as festive shopping season hits full swing.
Topical News
Storm Claudia brought heavy downpours and strong winds last week, supercharging Weather content by 2.8x as Brits caught up on the impact of the storm.
Elsewhere, President Donald Trump’s threat to sue the BBC – following the fallout from a BBC-edited video of him that led to the resignation of senior BBC figures – has driven 2.4x rise in Executive Leadership & Management (Business & Finance) as audiences follow the unfolding events.
Growth in the Business & Finance category has been further perpetuated by the UK Government backing down on suggestions to raise income tax following public backlash. Saving and Financial Assistance (Personal Finance), up 36% and 28% respectively, have also been impacted by these unexpected changes.
Meanwhile, the long awaited released of Call of Duty 7 has shot up Video Gaming content by 11%, with Role Playing Video Games (+2.4x), PC Games (+35%) and Console Games (+35%) all feeling the heat as fans of the gaming franchise catch up on the new game.
Finally, Events & Attractions saw an 11% uplift, driven by Sporting Events, up 92%. In sport, the Rugby Autumn international continued to spike Rugby content, up 8% WoW. In other sporting news, Boxing content surged 4x following Conor Benn vs. Chris Eubank JR.s match on Saturday.
Seasonal Events
As temperatures fall, Brits are settling into cosy nights and turning to the year’s standout films. Film interest is up 16%, with Sci-fi soaring 53% and Romance rising 29%, further lifted by the London premiere of Wicked: For Good. The festive season is also boosting Christmas TV, climbing 8.5x. Hobbies & Interests are up 15% too, as readers lean into indoor creativity, with Arts & Crafts jumping 72% as the colder months set in.
BBC’s Children in Need took place last week, lifting engagement across the board. Children’s TV jumped 5x after the annual show, with Non-Profit Organisations up 38%. Engagement further surged when BBC Radio 2’s Sara Cox completed her ultra marathon for the charity on Friday, raising £9.5m. Her 135-mile feat boosted Healthy Living content by 15%, with Running & Jogging up 4.3x. Music & Audio content also skyrocketed, up 18% WoW, with Public Radio soaring a impressive 63x as audiences followed the presenter’s progress.
Elsewhere, The Booker Prize 2025 took place last week, supercharging Books & Literature content (up 12%) as literary fans caught up on this year’s winner – Flesh by David Szalay. As a result, Literary Awards is up a huge 6.9x.
Meanwhile, early Black Friday deals continue to surge Sales & Promotion content, up 52%. Christmas Shopping has also spiked 95%, and Gifts & Greeting Cards 19% as readers plan gifts ahead of the year’s biggest shopping moment.
