Test cricket was exclusive to FTA last night and attracted a big audience for Seven with Session 2 of the First Test Day 1 averaging 926k. Later, in a game dominated by Australia, Session 3 was abandoned around 10pm because of rain when Seven showed highlights of the BBL final. Session 1 drew 666k in the afternoon before switching to 7Mate that averaged 539k.
Over on Nine, Married At First Sight was unaffected by the competition and recorded a season high close to 1.5 million with Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story attracting 869k. With A Current Affair winning at 7pm that meant that Nine was number one for most of the night after 7pm.
That saw Nine win with 35% of the audience while Seven topped 30% as well. ABC improved by one from last week while 10 and SBS dropped with SBS posting its lowest audience share since the August Olympics.
Meanwhile, a new season of Hard Quiz premiered to a disappointing 573k. That was well down on the previous season that premiered to 724k with most new episodes across 2024 rating higher than last night’s result. Then, the new series Optics premiered with 332k.
Over on 10, I’m A Celebrity was steady with recent results this week averaging 557k while Elsbeth that followed was slightly lower than last week and just made a busy top 30.
In the afternoon, Tipping Point still had an edge over The Chase despite Seven’s cricket lead in. At breakfast Sunrise was 100k ahead of Today breaking through to a +400k result.
Seven News was down on recent results; possibly the lost audience was watching the test on 7Mate.
Nine came out big winners last night, despite Seven’s 11th hour cricket pick-up and the fanfare around that.
Though Seven still did well, 30%+ share in Q1 against Married is a good result for them. Rain not helping things in Sri Lanka.
Key demos were interesting, with Seven taking the hard to reach 16-39s (excl bvod) nationally, perhaps helped by 7mate and regional.
Not a good result, you’d think a Chase (and news) boost would’ve been one of the reasons for Seven getting this cricket test series.
In contrast good results for TP, Nine News and ACA. Unbreakable also big, very good result. No doubt lead-ins and outs of Married all getting a glow from the mass switch on approaching 7:30pm and interest in the reality juggernaut, including 9Now.
Inflated by the short run time, it would’ve been main channel 7:30pm Sydney and Melbourne but then Tea was around 30-40min later, no?
Nine had a great night with MAFS and Unbreakable documentary. MAFS and session 3 of the test match had similar reach figures but the reality show belted the cricket in broadcast audience and live streaming ratings.
The latter clearly what Seven were interested in (ie. Chase), otherwise they’d keep the cricket on until 6pm.
And TP and Nine won. So not the desired result, wouldn’t you say.
But the coding “S2” really began at 6:10pm on a m/c, which was obviously a lot lower (7mate). Just seems strategically handy for Seven’s headline figure, of course half an hour will rate much higher than 2 hours, like any program seen on TV.
Married at First Sight was the No. 1 program of the night across Australia and in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide with Total People and all key demographics. It recorded a National Total TV Reach of 2.584 million and a Total TV National Audience of 1.497 million - up 18.9% year-on-year.
Married at First Sight secured a BVOD audience of 357,000 - up 47.5% on the corresponding episode last year.
9News was the preferred news bulletin of the night with Total People in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and in the key demographics of People 25-54 and People 16-39 in Adelaide. It registered a National Total TV Reach of 1.900 million and a Total TV National Audience of 1.112 million - up 7.7% on the same night last year. On 9Now, its BVOD audience of 99,000 was up 44.8% year-on-year.
A Current Affair dominated the 7.00pm timeslot with Total People across the 5 City Metro and in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. It secured a National Total TV Reach of 1.722 million and a Total TV National Audience of 1.016 million - up 7.5% year-on-year. On 9Now, it recorded a BVOD Audience of 101,000 - up 37.3% on the same night last year.
Tipping Point Australia was the No. 1 afternoon game show with Total People across Australia and in all five metro capital cities. It secured a National Total TV Reach of 1.278 million and a Total TV National Audience of 638,000, lifting the timeslot by 9.3% year-on-year.
Today was the breakfast program of choice with Total People in Melbourne and Brisbane. It secured a Total TV National Audience of 315,000 and a BVOD audience of 37,000 - up 2.9% on the same morning last year.
Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story achieved a National Total TV Reach of 1.966 million, a Total TV National Audience of 879,000 and a BVOD Audience of 101,000.
The 9Network was the No. 1 network across the 5 City Metro with People 25-54, Shoppers 18+ and Total People.
9Now was the No. 1 CFTA BVOD platform on Wednesday with all key demos and Total People.
I wonder if someone at 10 really is asleep behind the wheel here.
For a while it was known there was no broadcaster for this cricket tour, and its paid dividends for Ch 7 so far. Now its easy to say their BBL coverage would have help promotion, but since its obvious that Aussies love cricket this time of the year, bidding for this should have been a no-brainer
Did they really not want to affect the ratings of their Celebrity TV show? I just dont get it anymore
Channel 10 are a bit behind/not very proactive in their decisions. We’re also seeing this with their News - they’ve shifted the midday news to 1pm, allowing 7 to step in and create a lunchtime bulletin. Now there are rumors that 7 is planning a panel-style late-night news show similar to The Project - something 10 should have been leading with and innovating on already.
I find it really remarkable that a show in its 12th season is not only growing its audience but by such a large number too. Who knows how big the rating will be when we get the consolidated 7 day numbers.
10 would have no interest in picking up a limited cricket overseas tour when they have their rather expensive celebrity series on-air at the moment which would’ve been in the works for months.
Seems like a no-brainer it went to 7, good win for fans (FTA) overall despite the networks ordinary coverage as outlined in the appropriate thread.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Is Achieving Its Biggest Season Since 2022.
Last night, 1.19 million Australians saw jungle life set in for the campmates, and watched Nikki and Samantha face the filthiest, stinkiest trial ever. I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!:
Reached 1.19 million Australians.
Biggest season since 2022.
Season to-date: Total audience (907,000) up 7% on 2024 average.
Lifting 10’s timeslot 78% year-on-year.
7-Day Total Viewing Audience Wednesday, 22 January: Reached 1.45 million total viewers.
I don’t care about Foxtel, and I am glad their arrogance kept them out of this tour
My post was more directed at Ch 10 for just being on autopilot and continually not understanding what Australians want to watch on TV. Niche tour or not, cricket is cricket and I would want people watching my network for it.
PS I have no issue with Ch 7 gaining the rights. It was smart for them.
They are taking the host broadcaster feed. But yeah they are doing their own studio stuff which is something Fox normally don’t do. So while it is ordinary I appreciate the effort.
10 has offered an alternative over summer since losing the Big Bash rights years ago. They’re not going to pick up a limited tour for a sport they have no stake in.
It’s fine to have an opinion (probably best in the appropriate thread), but it depends on the narrative you want to spin here I guess.
What’s being framed as a win for Seven was really Foxtel’s to lose, while 10 continues doing what they set out to do with returning Celeb to Jan.
And what exactly are Seven getting out of this series? Given they’re prioritising Chase, news and Home & Away anyway.
Extra advertisers? More promotion for Idol and other Q1 shows? Try to compete / take away viewers and share from Nine and Married after the tennis? All of the above?
Because if it remains one-sided and/or rain delays or washouts, on top of the convoluted schedule and channel changes anyway… Is it truly worth it? The last thing Seven need is more make goods, money down the drain and debt for minimal or no gains. You also don’t want negativity in Seven HQ bean counters minds again, like we saw with the very public nasty CA legal spat a few years ago.
It’s great it is on FTA, but there’s a reason I think they were ad-free on Pay TV only for decades.