MG ALBA has published its Annual Report for 2025/26 following a year marked by growing digital audiences, continued investment in original content and a renewed focus on ensuring Gaelic language and culture thrive in a rapidly changing media landscape.
The report reflects a year of progress for Gaelic media, with audiences increasingly engaging with content across digital platforms while audience appreciation remained close to historic highs. Across BBC ALBA, LearnGaelic, SpeakGaelic and FilmG, overall reach remained steady despite wider declines in traditional television viewing, highlighting a significant shift in how audiences are choosing to access Gaelic content.
MG ALBA Chair, John Morrison, said: “Gaelic content must follow our audiences to digital platforms. If we don’t, we risk losing them forever.
The success we’ve seen across digital content, learning platforms, live sport and award-winning productions demonstrates the appetite that exists for Gaelic media. The challenge now is ensuring we have the resources and long-term certainty needed to build on that success.”
Highlights from the year included continued international recognition for An t-Eilean, which helped showcase Gaelic drama on the European stage, and the success of Hebridean Baker: Nordic Islands, which followed Coinneach MacLeod on a Nordic adventure and proved a popular addition to BBC iPlayer. Digital-first commissions such as Somhairle Spins and Rudan Beaga Bòidheach continued to attract younger audiences, with Somhairle Spins later winning the Prix CIRCOM award for Most Original and Innovative Programme. Meanwhile, SpeakGaelic and LearnGaelic continued to perform strongly, with SpeakGaelic now attracting more than 100,000 followers on Instagram.
In sport, BBC ALBA secured the rights to broadcast matches from Italy’s Serie A as the nation’s attention turned towards the men’s World Cup. The agreement represented a significant coup for Gaelic broadcasting, with BBC ALBA becoming the only free-to-air channel in the UK showing live matches featuring Scottish stars. Their performances on the pitch also drove strong engagement across BBC ALBA’s digital and social platforms, helping attract new audiences to Gaelic sports coverage.
The brand-new Mas Fhìor, produced by Beezr Studios, also marked BBC ALBA’s first quiz show format for several years, reflecting MG ALBA’s commitment to broadening the range of content available to Gaelic audiences.
MG ALBA invested £10.5M directly into commissioned content during the year, resulting in 325 hours of MG ALBA-funded programming. The organisation also continued to attract significant co-investment from partners across the creative industries, helping to bring ambitious Gaelic projects to audiences in Scotland and beyond.
Despite these successes, the report notes that financial pressures continue to present challenges across the broadcasting sector. New content now accounts for 22% of BBC ALBA’s output, compared with 40% when the channel launched in 2008, while production inflation continues to place pressure on commissioning budgets. While increased support from the Scottish Government provided greater certainty for the year ahead, MG ALBA says sustainable, long-term funding remains essential if Gaelic media is to continue investing in new content, talent development and digital innovation.
Donald Campbell, Chief Executive of MG ALBA, said: “Audience habits are changing rapidly and Gaelic media must continue to evolve alongside them. This year has shown encouraging growth across digital platforms while maintaining strong levels of audience appreciation.
The full Annual Report is available here.
