Requests for TV and radio programmes on the BBCs iPlayer service hit a record 272m in January 2013, a 26 per cent increase on the previous month (217m) and 42 per cent up on January 2012 (191m).

The growth was driven mainly by a large increase in requests for TV programmes from mobile and tablet devices. There were 44m requests from mobile devices in January 2013 (38m for TV programmes, 6m for radio programmes), compared to 34m in December 2012, and just 12m in January 2012. There were 40m requests from tablets (37m for TV programmes, 3m for radio programmes), compared to 28m in December 2012, and 11m in January 2012.

The PC remains the most popular device for accessing iPlayer content, clocking up 127m requests for TV and radio programmes in January 2013, compared to 102m the previous month, and 118m in January 2013.

The PC figures are a tad erratic, however. They fell from that January 2012 figure of 118m to 96m in July, before rising back up to 113m in August and 110m in October, then dropping back to 102m in December, before hitting that January high of 127m.

“BBC iPlayer had a record-breaking festive period, with performance driven by new mobiles and tablets unwrapped on Christmas Day, and it looks like these devices have yet to be put down,” said Dave Price, head of BBC iPlayer. “There were 272m requests for TV and radio programmes in iPlayer throughout January, with TV requests from mobiles and tablets rocketing – up 32 per cent in just one month. Well build on this in 2013, ensuring audiences continue to enjoy watching and listening to their favourite BBC programmes whenever and wherever they are.”