BBC iPlayer posts record numbers

We already know that the BBC had a good Christmas dominating the nation's favourite Christmas day programmes with nine out of the top ten shows, but it seems that popularity translated to plenty of views on the web as well for the BBC's iPlayer.

The corporation has announced that the BBC iPlayer in December 2008 saw 41 million requests to view BBC TV programmes, the biggest month since its launch in December 2007.

This takes the total number of requests in the iPlayer's first year to a whopping 271 million views.

During the seven day period from Christmas Day to 31 December the total number of requests to view BBC TV programmes via BBC iPlayer was 8 million as people clearly caught up with Christmas shows they had missed.

The biggest? Wallace And Gromit: A Matter Of Loaf And Death.

Erik Huggers, director, BBC FM&T promised that the "innovation will continue in 2009".

The top ten shows in full:

1 Wallace And Gromit: A Matter Of Loaf And Death
2 Doctor Who Series 4: The Next Doctor
3 Top Gear Series 12: Episode 8 (Vietnam)
4 Gavin and Stacey: Christmas Special
5 The Royle Family: The New Sofa
6 EastEnders 26/12/08
7 Outnumbered Series 2: Episode 7
8 EastEnders 25/12/2008 21:00
9 EastEnders 29/12/08
10 EastEnders 25/12/2008 20:00