After a less than spectacular launch, Seven has moved Australian Spartan out of the Sunday night timeslot. The network is still optimistic it will build an audience for the format when it returns to the schedule later in March as Seven starts broadcasting the start of the 2018 AFL season.
Seven is happy with the production values from Matchbox and Eureka.
It is believed the format will return in the Easter school holiday break where families are more likely to make time to sample the series. However, it would seem unlikely Seven would try the program again in the critical 7pm Sunday timeslot.
That also means Spartan might not be going head to head with Nine’s Married At First Sight, which will wrap before the Easter TV ratings survey break.
After Spartan launched with an audience over 800,000, the audience for the second episode dropped below 600,000.
Angus Ross, Seven’s director of programming, said: “Despite the best efforts of a great team on both sides of the camera, the show has not done the job it needed to do in its current timeslot.
“Australian Spartan will take a two-week break before finding its new home in the primetime schedule, in line with the 2018 AFL season kick-off.
“The series will return with 15 teams entering the Spartan arena to compete in the finals decider shows leading to the ultimate test of endurance, strength and teamwork and $150,000 in prize money.”