BBC Red Button attracts 11 million users a week

Red-button is deemed by many in the media and advertising community as relatively expensive - and ineffectual in terms of return on investment - compared to other forms of interactivity, such as online or DM.

Meanwhile, other forms of interactive TV such as so-called green-button TV are emerging, which its proponents claim is cheaper for brands and programme-makers to use than red-button.

However, new BBC data suggests TV viewers are flocking to red-button in record numbers.

The top music content on the BBC Red Button this year was the Glastonbury  festival, with 6.06 million people pressing red, followed by the Electric Proms music festival, with 2.56 million people pressing red.

In terms of sport content, Wimbledon, with 7.51 million people pressing red, was the most popular red-button content on the BBC, offering viewers access to multiple tennis courts and additional punditry and stats. Second, was the Snooker World Championship, with 3.96 million people pressing red.

Surprisingly, given the BBC did not have live TV right to the Ashes, its red-button Ashes service attracted 3.08 million hits.

In entertainment, the Eurovision Song Contest was the most popular red-button application, with 1.69 million people using it.

John Denton, managing editor, BBC Red Button, said: "This year has proven that audiences love choice and enjoy the extra interactivity that the red-button service can provide.

"We are pleased that, as UK television becomes fully digital, we've been able to take this incredible performance to even more viewers."

This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk