TV Ratings: the Olympics of reality TV

Only a few more sleeps to go before “normal” programming returns, ie the 2016 series of The Block starts on Nine on Sunday night, while Ten’s expensive Australian Survivor starts the same night. It is a big week for Nine and Ten as they attempt to fight back against Seven which has already won the prime time ratings for the year. Ten also ends its financial year the week after next on August 31 (and it will the best 12 months the network has had for five years). Nine reports its 2015-16 figures next Tuesday with a board meeting next week to approve them. Other changes are said to be in the offing for the network. The June 30 figures have already been guided lower, and the key is that the guidance is for 2016-17 (Seven has already forecast a 15% to 20% slide in profits because of the new AFL contract costs and the costs of the Olympics coverage). Nine has the impact of the new NRL contract to take into account in the new financial year.

Last night was more games and a big win for Seven, even though the Australians didn’t do well again (The Kiwis had a good day). Seven says the streams have topped 32.1 million, which if the app and the streams were as bad as many “experts” and users claim (they were to start with because of the ropey servers at the Games broadcasting centre), then the number of streams should have been much lower. But they are not and as everyone has gotten use to them, then the numbers have soared. Seven said this morning more than 17.5 million people have watched the games so far on its main channel, 7TWO and 7mate.

And if you are still interested in the Olympics, the men’s basketball team plays a semi final early tomorrow morning and if they win they will play the final (presumably against the US) early Monday. The first Rugby Union test against the All Blacks is on Ten and Fox Sports tomorrow night (from Sydney), and the NRL and AFL competitions are in their final rounds.

Network channel share:

Seven (36.2%)
Nine (23.9%)
Ten (20.1%)
ABC (14.0%)
SBS (5.7%)

Network main channels:

Seven (25.5%)
Nine (17.5%)
Ten (13.7%)
ABC (9.6%)
SBS ONE (4.2%)

Top 5 digital channels:

7TWO (5.6%)
ONE (4.0%))
GO (3.1%)
ABC 2 (2.8%)
7Flix (2.6%)

Top 10 national programs:

Seven News — 1.750 million
Seven News/ Today Tonight — 1.348 million*
Nine News — 1.348 million
Olympics: Day 12, In Rio Today (Seven) — 1.291 million
The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 1.230 million
A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.216 million
Olympics: Day 13, Evening (Seven) — 1.097 million
ABC News — 1.074 million
Nine News 6.30 — 1.050 million
The Bachelor (Ten) — 1.040 million

*Pre-empted by Games coverage in Adelaide and Perth

Top metro programs:

Seven News — 1.132 million
Nine News 6.30 — 1.031 million
Nine News — 1.029 million

Losers: The Games, the games, the games……

Metro news and current affairs:

Seven News — 1.132 million
Nine News (6.30pm) — 1.031 million
Nine News — 1.029 million
Seven News/Today Tonight — 876,000*
A Current Affair (Nine) – 857,000
ABC News – 731,000
7.30 (ABC) — 776,000
The Project 7pm (Ten) — 603,000
Ten Eyewitness News — 493,000
The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 461,000

*Pre-empted by Games coverage in Adelaide and Perth

Morning TV:

Sunrise (Seven) – 400,000
Today (Nine) — 303,000
Today Extra (Nine) — 131,000
News Breakfast (ABC, 80,000 + 31,000 on News 24) — 111,000
Studio 10 (Ten) — 85,000

Top five pay TV channels:

Fox Sports 1 (2.8%)
Fox 8 (2.2%)
TVHITS (2.1%)
LifeStyle (1.8%)
Nick Jr (1.6%)

Top five pay TV programs:

NRL: Brisbane v Canterbury (Fox Sports 1) — 220,000
NRL Thursday (Fox Sports 1) — 119,000
NRL Thursday (Fox Sports 1) — 113,000
The Simpsons (Fox8) – 77,000
The Simpsons (Fox8) – 68,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2016. The data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of OzTAM. (All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight all people.) and network reports.