Line of Duty was the most-watched show on iPlayer in 2021

26 December 2021, 12:00

By Jenny Mensah

The hit drama from Jed Mercurio - starring Martin Compston, Adrian Dunbar and Vicky McClure - was the most watched show on the streaming platform this year.

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Line of Duty has been revealed as the most-watched show on iPlayer in 2021.

The hit BBC One police drama had fans on tenterhooks as we tuned in to find out what would happen to the series' much-loved characters as well as the identity of H.

It was clear the series, which sees AC-12 on the search for "bent coppers," was on everyone's lips earlier this year and now the broadcasters have confirmed it was all we could watch too, having been streamed on the platform 137 million times.

BBC iPlayer's coverage of the Tokyo Olympic Games came in second place and was watched a total of 90.2 million times, with Pretty Little Liars third place with 79.9 million streams, the Euro 2020 streamed 68.2 million times and Silent Witness closing off the top five with 62.3 million streams. In a break from sport and drama, RuPaul's Drag Race UK took tenth place on the list with 33.3 million streams.

When it came to the most-watched single episodes this year, Line of Duty's opening episode scored an impressive 9.2 million views, the premiere episode of Virgil garnered 8 million streams, while Time scored 7.3 million, The Serpent scored 6.3 million and Bloodlands scored. 5.1 million.

Dan McGolpin, director of BBC iPlayer and channels, said: “It’s been an incredible year for BBC iPlayer with a unique mix of programmes driving more viewing than ever before.

"Line Of Duty tops the tables and it’s fantastic to see so many other brand-new drama series also featuring highly alongside those memorable sporting moments from last summer and some of the best documentary series of the year."