The first battlefield is breakfast TV where Nine’s new Today hosts, Allison Langdon and Karl Stefanovic, took their positions early on Saturday January 4. That was two days before their advertised return and the much-anticipated clash with the reigning breakfast champs, Sunrise hosts Samantha Armytage and David Koch.
As the media tracked the performance of the two shows across the week, each network released information about how they each performed. (See below for the detail.)
A day later on Sunday January 5, Network 10 launched season six of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! The show performed well across the week, outperforming the Big Bash League on Seven and giving 10 key demo wins and boosting 10’s year-on-year comparison.
At the end of the week 10 was able to claim Celebrity was Summer’s #1 show. It’s also the #1 show this year in under 50s and all key age groups (16 to 39s, 18 to 49s and 25 to 54s) and the #1 commercial program on BVOD.
Celebrity dominated the demos, securing the top six spots across the week in under 50s and all key age groups. I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! is also achieving record shares for the series. As a result of key programming lifting year-on-year, 10’s audience lifted 58% compared to the same week last year and 91% in under 50s.
Network 10’s Week 2, overnight audience highlights:
Channel 10:
Up 58% year-on-year. Up 91% in under 50s, up 78% in 16 to 39s and up 81% in 25 to 54s.
Network 10:
Up 40% year-on-year. Up 57% in under 50s, up 44% in 16 to 39s and up 53% in 25 to 54s.
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! Australia:
#1 show in under 50s and all key age groups.
#1 commercial program on BVOD.
Top six spots in under 50s and all key age groups.
Highest ever shares for the series.
Lift’s 10’s audience 142% in its timeslot across the week, year-on-year. Lifts 210% in under 50s, 177% in 16 to 39s and 186% in 25 to 54s.
Breakfast TV Week 2, 2020
Sam and Kochie with Lizzo on Friday
Although Seven clearly won the breakfast TV week, Nine had reasons to be cheerful. The Wednesday January 8 episode of 235,000 metro was the highest-rating Today episode in 12 months. The Tuesday and Wednesday episodes of the Nine breakfast show also had more viewers in the three east coast capitals than Sunrise did.
But Seven did win the breakfast week convincingly.
Sunrise led in key demographics, beating Today by:
Total People: +28%
P25-54: +14%
P16-39: +21%
GB: +26%
M18-54: +26%
W18-54: +9%
The metro average for the week Monday to Friday:
Sunrise 277,000 (Sydney 74,000, Melbourne 64,000)
Today 220,000 (Sydney 75,000, Melbourne 53,000)