The AFL Legends Game aired at 7pm last night across the country on Seven with main channel coverage in the three AFL states scoring a massive 879k average audience including 130k on 7Plus. That compares to the 2019 game that had 411k metro on Seven and 86k national on Foxtel. That helped Seven to its highest Thursday share since February.
Sydney and Brisbane could watch the game on 7Mate with three episodes of Home and Away on the main channel starting with 638k for the first dropping to 480k for episode three.
Nine’s NRL Thursday night saw the Bulldogs easily defeat the Panthers with 665k, up 80k from last week.
Over on 10, Gogglebox Australia’s 22nd season got underway with 530k. That compares to Season 21 that premiered to 666k in February and Season 20’s premiere episode from August that got 509k on 10. Law & Order: SVU followed got a boost from the lead in into the top 30 with 231k.
Back Roads visited Harvey, WA but was down 40k to rate 461k. A new season of Grand Designs New Zealand then premiered to 373k.
Legends Game #1 program on Seven’s winning Thursday
Seven #1 nationally in total TV National total TV audience share, 6.00pm to midnight: 45.3% National total TV audience share, 6.00am to midnight: 43.6% 7plus: #1 in BVOD, up 41.1% year-on-year AFL: Legends Game: #1 program, reaches 2.3 million 7NEWS: reaches 2.23 million The Chase Australia: reaches 1.27 million Sunrise: #1 at breakfast, 31% more viewers than Today
Seven Network reaches 5.97 million Australians nationally. 7plus: #1 in BVOD with a 47.91% share, reach up 41.1% year-on-year.
6.00pm to midnight:
Seven Network: #1 nationally in total TV in all people with a 45.3% share.
Seven Network: #1 nationally in total TV in 25 to 54s with a 45.2% share.
Seven Network: #1 nationally in grocery shoppers with a 45.0% share.
6.00am to midnight:
Seven Network: #1 nationally in total TV in all people with a 43.6% share.
Seven Network: #1 nationally in total TV in 25 to 54s with a 43.9% share.
Seven Network: #1 nationally in grocery shoppers with a 43.6% share. AFL: Legends Game for Prostate Cancer: #1 program in all people, people 25-54 and people 16-39. National reach 2.3 million, national audience 879,000. Highest rated AFL broadcast this season. 7NEWS Thursday: #1 program in total TV. National reach 2.23 million, national audience 1.35 million. The Chase Australia Thursday: National reach 1.27 million, national audience 629,000. Up on previous week. Sunrise Thursday: #1 breakfast program. National reach 939,000, national audience 401,000. 31% more viewers than Today. Home and Away Thursday: #1 drama. National reach 858,000, national audience 638,000.
NATIONAL TOTAL TV COMMERCIAL SHARES (%): 6.00pm to midnight
Network
All people
25 to 54s
Grocery shoppers
Seven Network
45.3
45.2
45.0
Nine Network
37.0
35.3
37.1
Network Ten
17.7
19.5
17.9
NATIONAL TOTAL TV COMMERCIAL SHARES (%): 6.00am to midnight
First of all, amazing ratings for the legends game. However, it also highlights just how much of a chunk of audience Fox and Kayo takes from 7. If you removed any Fox/Kayo coverage of any primetime game, most AFL games would rate 1.1+million. The same goes for league.
The low budget production values suit the laid-back vibe of the event though. And live coverage isn’t really essential as it is a comedy match where the result is largely inconsequential.
It would be interesting to see the breakdown of markets though. Obviously Melbourne would be the majority of viewers, perhaps 500k+ metro?
Last night’s national total BVOD audience was up 13% on same night last year.
9News was the No. 1 program and No. 1 news bulletin across Australia with People 25-54 and People 16-39. It was also the No. 1 news bulletin with Total People across the 5 City Metro and in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
The combined national bulletins registered a National Total TV Reach of 2.059 million and a Total TV National Audience of 1.302 million, up 21.8% year-on-year. On 9Now, it claimed a BVOD Audience of 134,000, increasing by 48.9% on the same night last year.
A Current Affair dominated the 7.00pm timeslot across Australia with Total People and all key demographics. It achieved a National Total TV Reach of 1.501 million and a Total TV National Audience of 961,000 - up 2.6% year-on-year. On 9Now, it recorded a BVOD Audience of 104,000, up 38.7% year-on-year.
Thursday Night NRL dominated its timeslot with Total People and all key demographics in Sydney and Brisbane. It registered a National Total TV Reach of 1.453 million and a Total TV National Audience of 665,000, up 6.7% on the same night last year. On 9Now, it secured a BVOD audience of 105,000, increasing by 50.0% year-on-year.
Tipping Point Australia was the No.1 afternoon game show across Australia with Total People and all key demographics. It registered a National Total TV Reach of 1.461 million and a Total TV National Audience of 777,000, increasing by 36.3% on the same day last year. On 9Now its BVOD Audience was 77,000, up a massive 83.3% year-on-year.
Today was the breakfast program of choice with People 16-39 and Total People in Melbourne and Brisbane. It achieved a National Total TV Reach of 761,000, a Total TV National Audience of 307,000, up 18.1% year-on-year. On 9Now it recorded a BVOD audience of 47,000, up 74.1% year-on-year.
