GB News extends lead as Britain's number one news channel

GB News has extended its lead as Britain’s number one news channel - beating the BBC News Channel and Sky News for the second month in a row.

Official BARB ratings for August reveal how the People’s Channel massively increased its gap over the BBC News Channel - while Sky News is now a distant third.

The results, drawn from the industry’s official BARB ratings for August 2025, track total share and average views.

In August they show how, between 6am and 2am, GB News saw average views rise by 6 per cent from 80.15k to 85.09k (1.53 per cent share).

In contrast, the BBC News Channel saw average views plummet by 13 per cent from 79.33k to 68.88k (1.23 per cent share).

Sky News’ average views also sank, dropping by 0.5% from 67.39k to 67.08k in August (1.2 per cent share).

It means in terms of total average audience share GB News’ rose by a huge 15 per cent - while the BBC dropped 6 per cent.

The data also shows how, based on average live views, GB News beat the BBC News Channel on 26 days out of 31 in August.

Their head-to-head performance against Sky News was even better, beating them on 30 days out of 31.

The People’s Channel beat both the BBC News Channel and Sky News on 25 days out of 31 across the month.

The results come a month after GB News officially became Britain’s leading news channel.

GB News CEO Angelos Frangopoulos said the channel’s August performance was yet another clear sign that the media company has filled a void.

He said: "The people of Britain have spoken, and the message is clear: the bold and fearless journalism of GB News has connected with communities everywhere. The figures prove that the gutless politically-motivated campaigns against GB News have failed."

GB News’ viewing success comes ahead of its major expansion into the United States of America. This month the People’s Channel will broadcast its very first edition of The Late Show Live.

The two-hour nightly programme (midnight to 2am) will create a daily connection between the people of the United States and Britain with high-profile interviews, and reports from the American heartland where they face similar challenges to us.

It will broadcast live from the channel’s newly established studio and bureau in Washington DC, which is strategically located near the White House.

The new programme will be hosted on weekdays by Bev Turner, and on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays by Ben Leo, and will add 14 hours of live content to GB News each week, further solidifying the channel’s commitment to delivering live news at a time when many of its rivals are reducing their coverage.

Since its launch in 2021, GB News has rapidly grown into a major player in the UK media landscape. It’s the first new entrant into this media sector in more than three decades and has also expanded to become a national radio network.

Its website, GBNews.com, has emerged as a digital powerhouse, not only in the UK market, but has also become the fastest-growing news platform in the United States.

GB News’ YouTube platform now boasts almost two million subscribers and has secured 2.27 billion views.

In August, Apple confirmed the GB News app now ranks among the top five most downloaded free news apps in the UK, outperforming the BBC, Sky News, The Times, Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph.

And two weeks ago, the channel announced an exciting new chapter in its global expansion as it launched on Truth+, the TV streaming platform gaining significant traction across the United States.

As part of the free basic package, GB News will now be available to audiences worldwide via Truth+ apps on iOS and Android, the web, and connected TVs including Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku.

As part of its long-term vision, GB News has also made a commitment to providing free, mass-reach broadcasting for all of Britain, ensuring the channel continues to serve the public.