The ABC has provided the most watched and listened to election coverage across the nation after polls closed on Saturday July 2. More Australians watched the ABC’s election coverage than any other network. The ABC and ABC News 24 simulcast (from 4pm AEST) reached a total of 5.3 million Australians on TV, equating to 22% of the metro and regional populations.
Australia Votes: Election Night Live (8.00-9.30pm AEST) was the top program across all networks yesterday, achieving an average audience of 1.7 million across ABC and ABC News 24. Audiences peaked at 2 million viewers at 9.50pm AEST. Driven by Australia Votes: Election Night Live, iview plays (excluding children’s programming) were also at a record high.
Traffic to ABC News Digital was among the highest ever recorded, with news and current affairs achieving 2.8 million visitors, 4.3 million visits and 20.5 million page views – doubling the traffic recorded for the 2013 election.
Director of news Gaven Morris said: “The ABC delivered the most comprehensive election coverage across television, radio, digital and social, and it’s good to see audiences responded to that. “Across the campaign and on poll day more Australians came to ABC News for live coverage, essential context and analysis and policy discussion and debate than any other source. “Australians turn to us during these important events and we are always exploring better ways to serve them.”
Television Combined Metro + Regional
• Total ABC TV was the #1 network across 5 city metro and total regional on Saturday night.
• The ABC/News 24 simulcast (4pm-11.45pm AEST) achieved a combined reach of 5.3 million viewers. This is equates to 22% of the metro and regional populations.
• ABC News 24 achieved a 24-hour reach of 2.6 million (11% of the metro and regional populations). This is the top daily reach for the channel for 2016, and is among the highest ever daily reach figures for the channel.
• ABC achieved the top program across all networks yesterday. Election Night Live (8pm-9.30pm AEST) achieved an average audience of 1.7 million (ABC+N24).
• Coverage peaked at 21:47-21:52 (AEST) at an average audience of 2.0 million (ABC+N24).
Television 5 City Metro
• Total ABC TV was the top network on Saturday evening, with a metro prime- time share of 26.9%. Network 9 #2 at 20.3%, Network 7 #3 at 18.8%.
• ABC main channel achieved a prime-time share of 17.4% (#1 ranked channel), with ABC News 24 at 7.5% (#4 ranked channel, and the highest ever metro prime-time share for the channel). Channel 9 #2 at 13.2%, Channel 7 #3 at 10.8%.
• Total ABC TV was also the #1 network during the day, with a metro day-time share of 20.1%.
Digital
• ABC News & Current Affairs achieved 2.8 million visitors, 4.3 million visits and 20.5 million page views – doubling the traffic recorded for the 2013 election. Page views were at a record high.
• Smartphone visits drove the increase traffic, accounting for 57% of all visits (33% for the previous election; 48% for Sat YTD) iview:
• Australia Votes: Election Night Live drove ABC iview to record its 3rd highest visits and 4th highest visitor numbers ever.
• Plays (excluding children’s programming) were at a record high, driven by Australia Votes: Election Night Live, with a total 130,000 iview plays.
• The ABC News 24 Live Stream recorded 249,000 total plays, comprising 191,000 from the ABC News 24 website and a further 58,000 from iview.
Desktop site + mobile site + app
Sources: OzTAM & Regional TAM preliminary overnight data; Webtrends
Note: TV reach includes viewers who watched at least five consecutive minutes of coverage TV and Digital audiences are based on preliminary data.