So-called “intruders” are now a staple of our reality TV shows. Its an admission by the producers and the networks that these programs run on for too long, that audiences become jaded and need inducements to keep watching. Last night The Voice did it.
The ratings for the 2019 series have held up and been dominating for Nine, so you have to wonder why this one off trick was needed. But the format helped The Voice crack a new Tuesday high last night of 1.41 million viewers nationally. That meant it was Nine’s night easily, again. House Rules on Seven had a weak 732,000. Ten’s MasterChef could only average 870,000 viewers. In regional areas Seven’s 6pm news led with 650,000, then Seven News/Today Tonight with 586,000, The Chase Australia 5.30pm with 424,000, Home and Away with 412,000 and The Voice with 388,000.
Network channel share:
- Nine (33.1%)
- Seven (27.2%)
- Ten (18.9%)
- ABC (13.2%)
- SBS (7.6%)
Network main channels:
- Nine (24.6%)
- Seven (18.2%)
- Ten (12.8%)
- ABC (8.8%)
- SBS ONE (5.5%)
Top 5 digital channels:
- 7mate (4.2%)
- GO (3.38%)
- 10 Bold, Gem (3.3%)
- ABC Kids/Comedy (2.7%)
Top 10 national programs:
- Seven News — 1.714 million
- Seven News/TT — 1.602 million
- The Voice (Nine) — 1.416 million
- Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.245 million
- Nine/NBN News — 1.240 million
- A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.136 million
- The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 1.091 million
- Home and Away (Seven) — 1.080 million
- 7pm ABC News — 1.009 million
- Masterchef Australia (Ten) — 870,000
Top metro programs:
- Seven News— 1.075 million
- The Voice (Nine) — 1.028 million
- Seven News/TT (Seven) — 1.016 million
Losers: The ABC – a pitifully boring offering – apart from that like Monday, something for most viewers.
Metro news and current affairs:
- Seven News — 1.075 million
- Seven News/TT (Seven) — 1.016 million
- Nine News — 951,000
- Nine News 6.30pm — 935,000
- ACA (Nine) — 826,000
- 7pm ABC News – 662,000
- The Project 7pm (Ten) — 522,000
- 7.30 (ABC) — 483,000
- 10 News First — 382,000
- The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 304,000
Morning (National) TV:
- Sunrise (Seven) — 478,000 (Metros: 286,000)
- Today (Nine) —292,000 (Metros: 200,000)
- News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) —248,000
- The Morning Show (Seven) — 232,000
- Today Extra (Nine) — 140,000
- Studio 10 (Ten) — 89,000
Top five pay TV programs:
- Wentworth (Fox Showcase) — 86,000
- Jones & Co (Sky News) — 84,000
- Cricket: World Cupt: England v Afghanistan (Fox Cricket) — 72,000
- Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 71,000
- The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 65,000
With a national population in excess of 25 million, the quoted viewing figures aptly demonstrate how irrelevant network TV is, given the advent of streaming services.
I haven’t watched free to air for years, but recently tried to watch a movie on one of the second rung digital stations, but soon gave up because of the oversupply of commercials. How people put up with the plethora of crass adverts is just beyond me.