The return of NRL saw the Nine Network record its highest Thursday share of the 2020 survey so far. The 30.3% share was up almost five points from the previous week thanks to big wins for the network in Sydney (33.8%) and Brisbane (38.3%). Nine also won in Melbourne with Seven ahead in Adelaide and Perth.
In the 25-54 age group Nine’s audience share was 33.5% ahead of 10 (29.3%), Seven (20.2%), ABC (11.1%) and SBS (5.8%).
In a closer battle Nine also won 16-39 with 32.7% to edge out 10 with 32.6% well ahead of Seven (19.4%), ABC (10.5%) and SBS (4.7%).
NRL was the top program in Sydney and Brisbane with a total audience of 619,000 including 84,000 on 9Gem in non-NRL states. This compares to games earlier in the year that rated below 500,000 in the metro markets. Nine report that last night’s Thursday Night NRL Live game was the highest rating regular season game since the season opening of 2016.
Meanwhile, MasterChef again topped the entertainment shows for the night, little changed from recent Thursday results; also a winner in key demographic groups where it managed to outperform the NRL even in Sydney.
Most affected by the return of Thursday night football was Seven that shed three share points as the movie Crazy Stupid Love could only manage 202,000 while Home and Away posted a season low. Meanwhile 10’s repeat Law and Order: SVU episodes had 342,000 (21st) and 245,000 (27th) while ABC’s One Plus One also missed the top 20 in 23rd place with 284,000 while The Heights slipped to 198,000.
The NRL also produced a good result over on Fox League with a 355,000 national audience.
Outside the top 20 were
| Program | Ntwk | 5-cities |
|---|---|---|
| LAW & ORDER: SVU RPT | 10 | 324,000 |
| BARRIE CASSIDY’S ONE PLUS ONE | ABC | 284,000 |
| THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL RAILWAY | SBS | 257,000 |
| THE DRUM-EV | ABC | 250,000 |
| LAW & ORDER: SVU EP 2 RPT | 10 | 245,000 |
| 10 NEWS FIRST 6PM | 10 | 242,000 |
| RBT (3 markets) | Nine | 239,000 |
| M- CRAZY STUPID LOVE | Seven | 202,000 |
| THE HEIGHTS | ABC | 198,000 |
| HOW THE VICTORIANS BUILT BRITAIN | SBS | 197,000 |
| SBS WORLD NEWS | SBS | 193,000 |
| JASON BOURNE (3 markets) | Nine | 161,000 |
| THURSDAY NIGHT NRL GOLDEN POINT | Nine | 123,000 |
| BLUE BLOODS LATE | 10 | 123,000 |
| THE LATEST: SEVEN NEWS | Seven | 120,000 |
| MASTERMIND | SBS | 120,000 |
Breakfast
Sunrise 286,000
Today 203,000
News Breakfast 205,000
Continue discussion at Thursday 28 May 2020.