The summer schedule has come to an end seemingly only days after it started. Can we already be one day into the new TV ratings year with 40 survey weeks ahead where networks will go into battle in primetime across 280 nights?
Seven ranked #2 in the numbers last week a long way behind Nine. But Seven did win the final two nights of the week, a pattern we expect to see often this year.
Seven meanwhile has claimed ratings dominance across summer, built on the coverage of cricket, 7News and Sunrise.
Seven’s ratings achievements over summer include:
• Number 1 for both network and main channel in Total People and 25-54s from 0600-2400
• Number 1 summer sport with 7Cricket, reaching 16 million viewers
• Number 1 breakfast with Sunrise, winning every morning across summer
• Number 1 news service with 7NEWS
Across the summer, Seven has claimed victory for seven out of 10 weeks from 0600-2400, and six out of 10 weeks in prime time.
Angus Ross, Seven’s network director of programming, said: “We’re thrilled with our ratings dominance throughout the summer. Our unbeatable News, Public Affairs and Sport coverage has delivered exceptional results, with us winning seven weeks of summer across the day and six in prime time.
“7NEWS and Sunrise have led the way this summer, providing vital coverage to viewers throughout the ongoing bushfire crisis and other major stories. The unmatched quality of their coverage has been reflected with viewers turning to 7NEWS ahead of the competition, and Sunrise winning every morning over summer.
“Our strength over summer has positioned us well for the year ahead. We’re revitalising our prime time programming with new and much loved franchises including Rebel Wilson’s Pooch Perfect, Big Brother, Holey Moley, Farmer Wants a Wife, SAS, Plate of Origin and more. This new prime time programming will add to our dominance in News, Public Affairs and Sport, and will stand alongside the biggest broadcast event in Australian history, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in July and August.”
If Seven claimed the summer, Nine has claimed the past three weeks including week 6 where it started strongly with the Men’s Final of the Australian Open and then took the next four nights easily with the first four episodes of Married At First Sight for 2020.
The highlights of Nine’s week 6:
The Men’s Final between Djokovic and Thiem on Sunday was the highest rating event of the week, attracting an audience national peak of 2.671m (Metro: 1.943m Reg: 728,000) and an average audience national of 2.019m (Metro: 1.524m Reg: 495,000).
On Monday Married at First Sight had its highest metro launch episode ever, with a national average audience of 1.492m (Metro: 1.155m Reg: 338,000) tuning in, dominating its time slot and winning all key demographics of 25-54s, 16-39s and Grocery Shopper + Child.
Nine won the primetime network commercial shares for another week in a row across all key demographics, with the following shares: People 25-54s (43.8%), People 16-39s (46.4%) and Shopper with Child (43.8%).
Nine also won Total People with a share of 43.1%.
MAFS is already dominating the OzTAM VPM rankings, taking out the top four spots with digital audiences of between 282,000 and 237,000.
10 was the third of the three commercial networks also with good news to share to advertisers.
The network is able to claim:
Across the week, 10 had half of the top 10 shows in under 50s and all key age groups (16 to 39s, 18 to 49s and 25 to 54s). This was thanks to a big audience watching the I’m A Celebrity…Get me Out Of Here! The Winner Announced and Grand Finale which combined was up 14% year-on-year, as well as a strong launch week for Australian Survivor: All Stars which is lifting its timeslot 8% year-on-year. So far, in its launch week, Australian Survivor: All Stars live digital audience is up 53% year-on-year. Ambulance Australia also premiered its new season this week and its debut episode achieved its biggest audience since December 2018.
10’s early evening line-up of 10 News First and The Project also continues to lift, up 12% compared with the same week last year. 10 News First 6pm continues to see big lifts in its timeslot, up 38% year-on-year.
Network 10 lifted 5% year-on-year, with 10 Bold and 10 Peach seeing lifts of 23% and 13% respectively. 10 Bold was also the #1 multi-channel across the week in its target market of people over 40 (6pm to 10.30pm) and saw its sixth week of consecutive year-on-year audience growth.
The ABC’s best in week 6 after the Sunday and weekday ABC News 7pm bulletins was the Monday night episode of Media Watch on 646,000. Also performing well was the long-awaited new season of Doc Martin which did over 600,000 on Saturday.
Also close to 600,000 during the week were Four Corners, Shaun Micallef Mad As Hell and Backroads.
No surprise that Great Australian Railway Journeys was easily #1 for SBS this week with just over 400,000 viewers. Michael Portillo’s travels by rail have been the channel’s single strongest franchise for some time with his journeys across the UK, Europe, the US and India. It was a given he would also have great success when he finally made it down under.