The 2016 season opener of the AFL Footy Show recorded the show’s biggest audience for a non-final broadcast in three years according to preliminary OzTAM estimates with Melbourne drawing the biggest audience of 377,000 and 528,000 tuning in nationally.
However, the news wasn’t so good in NRL territory where the second Thursday Night NRL game dropped 150,000 from last week’s debut to slip outside the top 20 on 433,000. But the combined results were still enough for Nine to post a 29.7% audience share to win the night.
Seven was second with 27.1%, Ten had 18.3%, ABC 18.1% and SBS 6.7%. Nine won Sydney and Melbourne with Seven ahead elsewhere. Nine and Ten tied for second in Perth.
Topping Nine’s night was Nine News (944,000 and 896,000) plus A Current Affair (680,000 in four cities). In AFL markets, The Footy Show had 558,000, RBT 317,000 and Inside Story 264,000 while NRL markets had a Pre-Match NRL show on 203,000 and the live NRL telecast with 433,000. Hot Seat averaged 493,000 in the afternoon. Over on 9Go!, Survivor: Kaoh Rong managed 138,000.
Seven News was the number one new service with 973,000 and 920,000 with Home and Away averaging 701,000 from 7pm. Later, the movie Pitch Perfect had 471,000 and The Big Bang Theory 448,000. The Chase had 504,000 at 5.30 and 349,000 at 5pm. The Amazing Race had 46,000 on 7Flix.
The penultimate I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here attracted 747,000 (time corrected) for the main program and 732,000 for the elimination with The Project next best for Ten on 503,000 and 452,000. Earlier, Family Feud lifted to 523,000 with Ten Eyewitness News on 462,000. Later, Law and Order: SVU had 405,000 and an encore of The People vs O J Simpson had 201,000.
ABC News (775,000) and 7:30 (707,000) grabbed top ten positions with Jack Irish up slightly to 617,000. Hatch Match & Dispatch (522,000) was steady with No Offence later on 299,000.
Food Safari Fire (257,000) did well for SBS with Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: London (199,000), and What’s the Right Diet For You? (153,000) the next best results.
At breakfast Today averaged 333,000 to lead Sunrise on 316,000 and ABC News Breakfast with 105,000 and 49,000. Later, Seven’s The Morning Show had 144,000, Nine’s Today Extra had 117,000 and Studio 10 had 91,000.
See Thursday 10 March 2016 for a more detailed look at the ratings numbers in the Media Spy forums.
Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2016. The Data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of OzTAM.