Press

TG4 Achieves Outstanding Success in 2023

with Highest Audience Share Since 2009

12.01.24

TG4 Viewership

In 2023, a whopping 3.67 million people, which is 81% of the population, tuned in to TG4 at some point. The average viewership share for the year increased to 2.09%, up from 1.96% in 2022—marking the highest share since 2009. Primetime viewing also saw a boost, reaching 2.24%. TG4 continued to hold its place as the 7th most-watched channel in Ireland. The channel hit its peak audience share on August 13th, coinciding with the TG4 Peil na mBan All-Ireland Senior Final and the grand finale of Fleadh Cheoil 2023.
 
 

Most Watched and Popular Programmes on TG4

The highlight of TG4’s programming in 2023 was the Allianz Football Final clash between Galway and Mayo on GAA Beo, emerging as the most-watched show of the year. The game garnered an average audience of 250,200 viewers, securing a substantial share of 32.84%. Following closely was the TG4 Peil na mBan All-Ireland Senior Final featuring Dublin and Kerry, which claimed the second spot in the year’s rankings. With an average audience of 201,800 and a share of 26.47%, viewers witnessed Dublin’s victory over Kerry in a thrilling match.
 

Daniel O’Donnel proved popular once again on Tuesday nights with ‘Opry le Daniel ar Thuras’. Guests included Lisa McHugh, Johnny Brady and The Tumbling Paddies among many more. Weekly social media clips from the show were also popular with over 3.6M combined views on Facebook.

Opry le Daniel ar Thuras – https://nasc.tg4.tv/Opry_le_Daniel_ar_Thuras
 
Viewers were treated to exceptional musical performances and lots of fun moments during ‘Fleadh Cheoil 2023,’ broadcasted live from Mullingar. To enhance the experience, TG4 extended the Fleadh programming, airing from Thursday, August 10th, to Sunday, August 13th, providing an extra night of vibrant and captivating music for the TG4 audience to enjoy.

Fleadh Cheoil 2023 – https://nasc.tg4.tv/Fleadh-2023
 
The second series of the hugely popular traditional music series ‘Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy’ was back and our favourite adventurer Hector Ó hEochagáin returned with an epic adventure from the Philippines to the Solomons Islands.

Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy – https://nasc.tg4.tv/Scoil-Samhraidh-Willie-Clancy-2

Hector: ó Philippines go dtí na Solomons – https://nasc.tg4.tv/Hector-Ó-na-Philippines-go-dtí-na-Solomons
 
 

Christmas / December 2023 – New Year’s Day on TG4

December emerged as the standout month for TG4 in terms of audience share, reaching an 2.49% (or 2.74% during peak time). Notably, Christmas Day proved to be a monumental occasion, with TG4 achieving its highest audience reach of 808,400. Despite the fierce competition during the festive season, TG4 not only held its ground but also climbed the ranks to become the 6th most-watched channel over Christmas. The pinnacle of viewership during the holidays was marked by the New Year’s Day broadcast of Rugbaí Beo, where 104,100 tuned in to catch the game between Connacht and Munster, making it the most-watched program during the Christmas period.

The ‘Die Hard,’ film and the beloved Irish classic ‘Into the West’ took center stage as top picks on TG4 during the festive season. Another standout was the Christmas Day special, ‘Grace Kelly: Banphrionsa Mhaigh Eo,’ delving into the life and legacy of the actress with Mayo roots. Offering a reflective glimpse into Inis Meáin, ‘Inis Meáin, Idir dhá linn’ on December 28th explored the passage of time on the island. Shifting focus to environmental concerns, ‘Paddy Na Meachain’ shed light on the protection of native Irish bees. To ring in the new year, ‘Fáilte 2024,’ hosted by Dáithí Ó Sé and Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, provided a festive start for TG4 viewers.
 
Grace Kelly: Banphrionsa Mhaigh Eo – https://nasc.tg4.tv/GraceKelly

Inis Meáin, Idir dhá linn – https://nasc.tg4.tv/InisMeáin-IdirDháLinn

Paddy Na Meachain – https://nasc.tg4.tv/Paddy-na-Meachain

Fáilte 2024 – https://nasc.tg4.tv/Fáilte2024
 
 

Cúla4

Cúla4 had plenty to entertain the children throughout the festive season including Movies as Gaeilge: Nollaig an Yeití, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, The Boss Baby, Moncaí Ríoga and many more. The Irish language children’s channel has been going from strength to strength since its launch last September and is available to watch on linear or worldwide on Cula4.com.
 
 

TG4 Player TG4.ie

In the past year, TG4 Player saw an impressive 3.5 million views, combining both live and Video on Demand (VoD) content, reflecting a 6% growth from 2022. The most-watched live player broadcast was the URC Rugby match between Munster and Leinster on November 25th. Notably, among the top five VoD programs on the player were ‘Laochra Gael,’ ‘Dennis Cahill – Litir ó do Chara,’ and ‘Fleadh 2023,’ showcasing the diverse and popular content available for on-demand viewing.
 
Dennis Cahill – Litir ó do Chara – https://nasc.tg4.tv/DennisCahill

Laochra Gael – https://nasc.tg4.tv/LaochraGael-21
 
 

TG4 Social Media

In 2023, TG4 rocked the social media scene with an impressive 77.7 million views. One standout moment was the viral interview with Paul Mescal at the 2023 BAFTA’s. Mescal had a casual chat as Gaeilge with TG4 presenter Caitlín Nic Aoidh, and the heartwarming moment was a global hit, racking up over 2.1 million views on TG4’s social platforms alone.

Paul Mescal – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PbuYQR2gyI
 
On Oscar night, the Twitter buzz around ‘An Cailín Ciúin’ was palpable, propelling TG4’s account to gain an incredible 3.2 million impressions. Adding to the social media success, Cúla4’s touching video from Dublin Airport during Christmas notched up over 427.5 thousand views on Instagram. TG4’s social media game was truly on point, keeping audiences engaged and entertained throughout 2023.

Cúla4 – https://www.instagram.com/p/C1JuDQ1MJzH/
 
 
Alan Esslemont, Director General of TG4 said, “2023 was the year in which TG4 went to the Oscars with ‘An Cailín Ciúin’ and launched our dedicated Children’s channel, ‘Cúla4’. My deepest thanks to all the TG4 team and the Irish creative sector for their work during 2023. It is clear that the audience’s taste for TG4 content, on all platforms, is growing year on year. A very important year lies ahead for Irish language media in 2024 and I sincerely hope that the Government and Coimisiún na Mean can recognise that investment in Irish language media, and increased scale in Irish language media, is productive, beneficial and necessary.”
 
Source: Nielsen / TAM Ireland