Hollyoaks is serving up some much-needed good news for fans as it becomes the first UK soap to stream on YouTube internationally.
The long-running Channel 4 serial drama, which is undergoing a major resurgence at the hands of new boss Hannah Cheers, will now be made available on the internet’s signature video-sharing website for fans all around the world.
This groundbreaking move comes just a month after Metro reported that Hulu, which previously housed Hollyoaks in the US, was no longer providing daily editions of the popular drama.
But now, fans who were missing out can get reacquainted with all-things Chester, with audiences from around the globe now able to follow the day-to-day events of the eponymous village, with full sequential episodes for free!
The YouTube international approach will be the same as the UK, with daily episodes available one week after they drop on Channel 4 streaming.
With 20 offerings already available before the daily drop pattern, international viewers can join Hollyoaks at Pride celebrations, which proved to be one of the most captivating weeks of the year, with UK fans full of praise for what unfolded.
The week in question sees Lucas Hay (Oscar Curtis) in the grips of conversion therapy at the hands of school headmaster Carter Shepherd (David Ames), with Dillon Ray (Nathaniel Dass) making it his mission to rescue the teen.
Pride gets underway in the eponymous village, while Kitty Draper (Iz Hesketh) serenades those in attendance with a gorgeous rendition of Over The rainbow.
Recent viewing figures revealed that Hollyoaks, which has been breaking new ground since its debut in 1995, has seen nearly 40% year-on-year growth in streaming views per episode in the first quarter of this year.
The much-loved show has also seen its social media views rocket, with Snapchat increasing by 350% YOY and TikTok up by 116%.
Full length episodes on YouTube in the UK and Ireland alone saw 5.8M minutes of watch time in Q1 2024 with 67% of views coming from 13 – 34-year-olds.
Lime Pictures Joint Managing Director, Kate Little said: ‘Hollyoaks is always synonymous with digital firsts and I am delighted that the show’s global audience will now be able to find and watch episodes when they want on YouTube.
‘With a proven track record of enticing younger viewers with gripping storytelling and engaging characters, this digitally-led offering of episodes will allow new and existing audiences worldwide to get their Hollyoaks fix with ease.”
Channel 4 announced that its in-house social agency 4Studio had driven a three-fold year on year increase in UK viewing of full episodes of UK viewing of full episodes of TV shows in Q1 and it’s made-for-social network Channel 4.0.
Matt Risley, Managing Director, 4Studio said: ‘We’re hugely excited to see Hollyoaks’ continual growth on YouTube, and this innovative move towards global distribution will only supercharge it further. YouTube is a core viewing platform for young viewers in the UK and abroad, so there’s no better place for us to be reaching new audiences with the best soap on TV.’
Hollyoaks has received nothing but acclaim this year, with jaw-dropping stunts, groundbreaking storylines – including child trans and conversion therapy stories, plus a sibling sexual abuse narrative – and a return to character-led drama.
The long-running serial drama will undergo quite a change later this year, with a reduction in episodes coming into effect in September. In order to facilitate the three-episode pattern, a number of cast members have been let go.
Hollyoaks streams weeknights at 7:30pm on Channel 4’s streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4.
