• MasterChef audience up 70% YOY and biggest launch since 2015
The launch of MasterChef Australia: Back to Win couldn’t have gone any better for the network with the biggest series launch or return of 2020.
ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand chief content officer and executive vice president, Beverley McGarvey, said this morning: “We are so pleased and excited with how Australians have responded to the return of MasterChef Australia. Twelve seasons in and MasterChef Australia is still loved by so many people. Food is a universal theme, particularly in times like these, and our show has always been about the food.
“A big thanks to the massive team, on and off screen who put this show together, thanks to our new judges, Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen, our brilliant returning contestants and to our wonderful guest judge Gordon Ramsay.
“The cooking, passion and energy in MasterChef Australia this year is amazing and it is going to be a really thrilling season.”
There were so many factors at play last night it will take a few nights and then next week to understand how the audience might respond across the remaining months. The new judges worked well together with the returning contestants and they will grow in confidence when not standing alongside Gordon Ramsay. 10 will be looking to bolt on as many returning viewers as possible before Nine cranks up again with Lego Masters next week. Meanwhile it will celebrate its biggest night of the year and the best MasterChef launch numbers since 2015, telling advertisers to get on board with the network that could cause some heartache in the weeks ahead.
Across the five capital cities, the 2020 launch episode achieved an average audience of 1.23 million. That was bigger than the first episode of Married at First Sight this year. There were 1.56 million MasterChef viewers nationally.
That was the show’s biggest launch episode audience since 2015.
In capital cities, MasterChef Australia was up 72% in total people compared with the 2019 launch.
In capital cities, it up 91% in total people compared with the 2019 series average.
Here is a list of the metro launch audiences for the major TV series so far in 2020:
MasterChef Australia – 1,228,000
Married at First Sight – 1,155,000
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! – 954,000 (whole show)
House Rules – 666,000
Australian Survivor: All Stars – 623,000
My Kitchen Rules – 498,000
First Dates – 352,000
See also:
#MasterChef: Your complete guide to returning Back to Win series
The contestants: 24 are back to win
The new judges: Simple instruction they got after surviving screen tests
The real MasterChef: Endemol Shine Australia EP Marty Benson