3.843 million Aussies tune in to Origin 2

The Glenn Dyer breakdown: While it was Nine’s night, thanks to the NRL State of Origin win by NSW in Game 2 from Sydney last night. In fact, the audience numbers nationally, in Queensland and regional areas were below the record levels for Game 1 on May 23. We saw a bit of audience fatigue in […]

The Glenn Dyer breakdown: While it was Nine’s night, thanks to the NRL State of Origin win by NSW in Game 2 from Sydney last night. In fact, the audience numbers nationally, in Queensland and regional areas were below the record levels for Game 1 on May 23.

We saw a bit of audience fatigue in Brisbane, of all places, where the audience fell 14.7% to 774,000 from the record 908,000 for Game 1 on May 23. That was a surprise, given Queensland had the chance last night to wrap up the series. No staying power up north. Will they return for the decider on July 4?

The Sydney audience was higher from Game 1 — 1.185 million compared with 1.153 million — as was the Melbourne audience (366,000 v 317,000). The Adelaide audience rose to 68,000 from 57,000 and the Perth audience hardly budged, 79,000 v 80,000. All up the five metro markets total of 2.472 million, while a fabulous figure, was down from the five metro record 2.515 million for Game 1. It was also under the 2.492 million recorded for Game 3 of the 2011 series which was the previous five metro market record.

In regional areas the audience was 1.371 million, still very high, but down on the 1.442 million all time high for Game 1. There were 497,000 viewers in regional Queensland (533,000 for Game 1), 408,000 in Northern NSW (411,000), 345,000 in southern NSW (360,000), 82,000 in regional Victoria (101,000) and 39,000 in Tasmania (40,000).

All up, the national audience for the game last night was 3.843 million against the 3.960 million for the first game (which was lifted to just under 4 million with the seven day recording in metro and regional areas). And the result? Go the mighty Blues!

Seal, one of the judges from The Voice, sang in the Origin pre-match entertainment. On his effort last night he wouldn’t have gained a start in the program he co-judges.

Tonight: AFL on Seven (main channel in the south and 7mate in the north) and Foxtel. Australia’s Got Talent and The Amazing Race Australia are on Seven’s main channel in Sydney and Brisbane. Nine of course has the NRL Footy Show from 9.30pm in Sydney and Brisbane and later elsewhere. The AFL Footy Show was on last night after the Origin game. Before that we have The Block at 7pm and the debut of Hamish and Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year at 8pm. Ten has MasterChef at 7 pm and the ABC has Silk on ABC 1 at 8.30pm after a new program on photography called Photo Finish at 8pm. SBS has the usual menu of cooking programs from 7.30pm.

The top 10 national programs (metro & regional combined):

State of Origin (the game) (Nine) — 3.843 million
State of Origin (post game) (Nine) — 3.111 million
State of Origin (pre game) (Nine) — 2.495 million
The Block (Nine) — 1.919 million
Seven News — 1.907 million
Nine News — 1.874 million
MasterChef (Ten) — 1.413 million
ABC News — 1.404 million
Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.357 million
Home and Away (Seven) — 1.276 million

The Metro Winners:

State of Origin (the game) (Nine) (8.10pm) — 2.472 million
State of Origin (post game) (Nine) (9.50pm) — 1.978 million
State of Origin (pre game) (Nine) (7.30pm) — 1.558 million
The Block (Nine) (7pm) — 1.378 million
Nine News (6pm) — 1.309 million
Seven News (6pm) — 1.288 million
A Current Affair (Nine) (6.30pm) — 1.177 million
Today Tonight (Seven) (6.30pm) — 1.112 million
MasterChef (Ten) (7pm) — 1.054 million

The Losers: No losers because the second Origin game destablised the night. Seven ran dead in Sydney and Brisbane as a result. Ten at least kept faith with its audience.

Metro News & CA: Big night for Nine News and A Current Affair.

Nine News (6pm) — 1.309 million
Seven News (6pm) — 1.288 million
A Current Affair (Nine) (6.30pm) — 1.177 million
Today Tonight (Seven) (6.30pm) — 1.112 million
ABC News (7pm) — 997,000
Ten News (5pm) — 656,000
7.30 (ABC) (7.30pm) — 564,000
The Project (Ten) (6.30pm) — 563,000
The Project (Ten) (6pm) — 394,000
Lateline (ABC) (10.35pm) — 215,000
Ten News (10.30pm) — 195,000
SBS News (6.30pm) — 169,000
The Business (ABC) (11.10pm) — 134,000
The Drum (News 24) (6pm) — 58,000
SBS News (10.30pm) — 56,000

In the morning:

Sunrise (Seven) (7am) — 387,000
Today (Nine) (7am) — 339,000
The Morning Show (Seven) (9am) — 193,000
Mornings (Nine) (9am) — 116,000
The Circle (Ten) (9am) — 56,000
News Breakfast (ABC) (6am) — 48,000 (+26,000)*
Breakfast (Ten) (7am) — 36,000

*On News 24 simulcast

Metro FTA: Nine (3 channels) won with a share of 41.8% from Seven (3) on 21.2%, Ten (3) was on 19.5%, the ABC (4) was on 12.6% and SBS (2) ended with 4.8%. Nine leads the week with 33.4% from Seven on 27.4% and Ten on 20.0%. Main Channels: Nine won with 36.8% from Seven on 14.9%, Ten was on 14.7%, ABC 1, 9.0% and SBS ONE, 3.8%. Nine leads the week with 27.8% from Seven with 21.1% and Ten on 14.9%.

Metro Digital: Eleven won with 3.5% from 7TWO on 3.4%, GO on 3.1%, 7mate on 2.9%, ABC 2, 2.3%, Gem was on 2.0%, ONE was on 1.4%, SBS TWO was on 1.0%, and News 24 and ABC 3 ended with 0.7% each. The 10 digital channels had an FTA viewing share last night of a low 21.0%.(Thanks to Origin). GO and 7mate leads the week with 3.4% from 7TWO on 3.0% and Eleven on 2.9%.

Metro including Pay TV: Nine (3 channels) won with a share of 36.2% from Seven (3) on 18.4%, Ten (3) was on 16.9%, the ABC (4) was on 10.9%, Pay TV (200 plus channels) was on 10.8% and SBS (2) ended with 4.2%. The 15 FTA channels hare last night was a high 89.2%, thanks to Origin. That was made up of 71.1% for the five main channels (over half of that was with Nine) and 18.1% for the 10 digital channels.

The top five pay TV channels were:

Fox 8 (2.7%)
TV1 (2.0%)
Lifestyle (2.0%)
A&E (1.5%)
Disney (1.5%)

The five most-watched programs on pay TV were:

Family Guy (Fox 8) — 76,000
The Simpsons (Fox 8) — 71,000
AFL: Open Mike (Fox Footy) — 69,000
Futurama (Fox 8) — 69,000
Eastenders (UKTV) — 59,000

Regional: WIN/NBN (3 channels) won with a share of 48.2% from Prime/7Qld (3 channels) on 22.0%, SC Ten (3) was on 15.1% and the ABC (4) was on 10.6% with SBS (2) on 4.1%. The main channels were won by WIN/NBN on 43.1% from Prime/7Qld on 13.4%. 7TWO won the digitals with 4.7% from 7mate on 3.9% and Eleven on 2.8%.

The five most-watched programs in regional markets were:

State of Origin (the game) — 1.371 million
State of Origin (post game) — 1.133 million
State of Origin (pre game) — 937,000
Seven News — 619,000
Nine News — 565,000

Major Metro Markets: Nine won overall and the main channels in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. In the main channels Ten was second and Seven was third in those three markets. In Adelaide and Perth it was Seven winning overall and the main channels. In Perth, Ten pushed Nine out of second and down to third. Nine leads the week in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Seven leads the week in Adelaide and Perth.

(All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight All People)

*Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports