Ever since the start of survey in the second week of February (Week 7 of the TV ratings year) Nine has been the clear leader. In Week 12 Nine kept that winning streak intact with its sixth consecutive week as #1 primary channel and #1 network.
Nine
A hit 7.30pm franchise is always going to set you up nicely. Just remember how My Kitchen Rules set up Seven’s year consecutively for close to a decade. For the last few years the Q1 dominance has belonged to Nine courtesy of Married at First Sight. The reality show format made by Endemol Shine Australia for Nine throws strangers together in a “marriage” and then stands back and watches the fireworks.
The four Married at First Sight episodes screened last week were the four most-watched pieces of TV last week with three of those episodes averaging over 1m metro viewers. The second Married at First Sight commitment ceremony was the most watched show of the TV ratings week with an average national audience of 1.430 million (metro 1.095m/regional 334,000). Nine reported MAFS on its BVOD service 9Now continues to dominate the rankings with the most-watched episode so far being episode 4 with an aggregate of 449,000 viewers.
Nine managed to score the top five shows of the week with the addition of Nine News Sunday which won its slot thanks to a lead-in from the first Sunday afternoon NRL game in Sydney and Brisbane.
Nine’s other programming to crack 500,000 is all linked to its news and current affairs output. Nine News of course, then A Current Affair on 677,000, 60 Minutes on 622,000, and the new Liz Hayes-hosted series Under Investigation on 530,000.
Making it over 400,000 were NRL Thursday on 426,000 and the drama Amazing Grace on 415,000.
See also: Week 11 TV ratings: Relationships rate – MAFS keeps Nine #1, Harry & Meghan lift 10
Seven
While Seven was still in second place, it was able to record its best primary and network shares of the six-week survey period. The lift comes off the back of the AFL on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Seven News and AFL Thursday on 680,000 both made the top 20 shows for the week. Next best were Friday AFL on 580,000 and Home and Away on 519,000.
Close to 500,000 were Saturday AFL on 484,000 and Sunday’s Ultimate Tag replacement Ivan Milat’s Buried Secrets on 480,000.
In summarising the AFL impact, Seven reported network share 25-43 up 19% week-on-week, primary channel share up 23% week-on-week.
Natalie Barr didn’t slow the Sunrise train with her arrival in the chair as the permanent co-host alongside Kochie. The show remained a clear leader with 426,000 national and 242,000 metro Monday to Friday.
10
The Amazing Race Australia flirted with half a million metro viewers last week, but didn’t quite make it. The three episodes had audiences of 491,000 (Monday), 480,000 (Tuesday), and 462,000 (Sunday). The series’ final episodes screen this week ahead of the Easter break before the return of MasterChef Australia.
Also close to 500k was Gogglebox on 483,000.
The Project weekday average was 383,000 with the Sunday episode on 367,000.
The midweek game show The Cube managed 317,000.
ABC
The 600k club on ABC had three members – News Sunday on 685,000, News Monday to Friday on 617,000, and the ever-reliable Hard Quiz on 622,000.
Saturday’s Death in Paradise was on 599,000. Other titles amongst the most-watched were Australian Story on 578,000, 7.30 on 566,000, The Weekly on 544,000, and the debut of Fisk on 540,000.
SBS
Two Michael’s were hosting the biggest TV audiences at SBS. Michael Palin took over top spot with 244,000 watching Michael Palin in North Korea and 242,000 saw another Michael Portillo-hosted episode of Great Australian Railway Journeys.
Also over 200k were Australian In Colour on 206,000 and The Secret Life of Light Houses on 205,000.