Last year saw UKTV deliver a 9.27% share of social impacts (SOCI), putting it marginally ahead of Sky’s branded channels (9.25%) and Channel 5’s portfolio (9.26%).

The results follow a big drive by the broadcaster to commission more original content. Storage Hunters UK Celebrity Special and Dave Gorman Modern Life is Goodish received UKTV’s highest ratings last year. Meanwhile comedy gameshow Taskmaster and sitcom Marley’s Ghosts also contributed to a boost in audience share.

UKTV’s chief financial and operations officer, Jan Gooze-Zijl, said the success was down to risk-taking and experimenting with a mixture of content, “ensuring viewers needs are at the heart of everything we do.”

In an interview in this month’s Television magazine, the company’s Chief Executive Darren Childs said he intended to continue commissioning new content.

“Next for us is a move into crime procedural drama. Alibi has been having a phenomenal run. We think that it’s ripe for original development.

“Will we invest in drama? It’s inevitable that, at some stage in this company’s future, it will take place. As to when and how, it’s probably too early to say. As long as consumers like it, then we’ll be looking at ways to give it to them.”

Alibi, UKTV’s crime drama channel, celebrated its most successful year, with a 0.45% audience share.

With two new series of sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf on the way, the network hopes to build on the most successful Christmas in its history, when its daily share peaked at 7.62% on 27 December.