Elena Duggan’s crowning as the 2016 MasterChef was watched by 1.89 million metropolitan viewers last night while the bulk of the Grand Final averaged 1.71 million.
With key demographics, the show now ranks as the year’s top non-sport program capping off another good year for Ten’s most popular reality format. After premiering in May, the cooking show has drawn an average 5-city audience of over one million overnight viewers across its thirteen weeks.
Last night’s grand final numbers are down slightly from last year when the winner’s announcement was watched by 2.1 million and the final averaged 1.8 million but are higher than 2014 and 2013 results. The audience numbers across the series have reflected a general downward trend for stripped reality shows in 2016. However, MasterChef has fared better than others with a fall off of approximately 6% across the series compared to last season though this year the show has gained more through consolidated numbers than ever before.
The result helped Ten to a 32.7% audience share with Seven next best on 24.8%, Nine with 21.0% while ABC had 15.0% and SBS 6.5%. Ten had a rare win in all markets while achieving a 40.7% share of the 25-54 demographic peaking at 45.5% of 16-39 year-olds and 43% of the 18-49 age bracket.
Also on Ten, The Project hit another 2016 high with 820,000 and 535,000 while the network used the MasterChef final to launch US comedy Life in Pieces to an audience of 643,000 at 10pm. Earlier, Family Feud had 573,000 fans and Ten Eyewitness News rated 474,000 while later, NCIS Los Angeles had 214,000.
Seven News won a close battle at 6pm with 1,176,000 slipping to 1,139,000 at 6.30pm while Home and Away improved last night to 791,000 but still ended up fourth at 7pm. Following, Make You Laugh Out Loud (474,000) and Winners and Losers (465,000 and 450,000) suffered against the increased competition. In the afternoon, The Chase had 694,000 at 5pm and 460,000 at 4.30pm after Seven Afternoon News had 276,000 at 4.30 and 224,000 at 4pm.
Over on Nine, Nine News (1,152,000 and 1,067,000) did well while A Current Affair had a narrow win at 7pm averaging 849,000. Britain’s Got Talent managed 551,000 while the afternoon’s Hot Seat saw 659,000 tune in after Nine’s Afternoon News had 362,000 at 5pm and 218,000 for its earlier portion. The Birdcage later had 180,000 in four markets. The International Champions Cup had 69,000 on 9Gem.
ABC’s loyal audience stayed put with results similar to previous weeks for the public broadcaster. ABC News (837,000) and 7.30 (630,000) led with Catalyst next best with 593,000 while Martin Clunes: Man and Beast averaged 434,000.
Great Continental Railway Journeys (347,000) and Insight (259,000) were SBS’s best.
At breakfast Nine’s Today averaged 318,000 to lead from Seven’s alternative Sunrise that had 297,000. Following, The Morning Show had 166,000 on Seven and Today Extra was watched by 139,000 on Nine while Studio 10 had 77,000.
See [Tuesday 26 July 2016] (http://forums.mediaspy.org/t/tuesday-26-july-2016/1616) for a more detailed look at the ratings numbers in the Media Spy forums.
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