Umm...
“Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forfty percent of people know that.” — Homer J Simpson.
With the end of the 2010 ratings season comes the inevitable back slapping and self congratulatory press releases stating how well each network did. Except this year, everyone won. I’m yet to get Network 10’s pr guff but I’m sure there’ll be something like that from them as well.
Channel 7 & Channel 9 have been at each other like an old married couple all year. My breakfast show is better than yours. If you can start a digital multi-channel so can we. Our stable of stars is bigger/more important/more vacuous than yours. Our stars get into less trouble with drugs and bikies and don’t date then dump the bosses son. It just doesn’t stop. The press releases published today prove my point.
An excerpt from Channel 9 (first in my inbox):
Nine is #1 for Share
- Nine is Australia’s #1 network for all key demographics in 2010
- Nine has won 25-54s, 18-49s and 16-39s across both Primetime and Peak
- Nine is #1 for under 65s
- Nine has won the combined 5 City Metro and East Coast markets, plus the individual markets of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for all key demographics
Network Aggregates ABC1/2/3/ News 24 Seven/7TWO/ 7mate Nine/GO!/Gem TEN/ONE SBS ONE/ SBS TWO 25-54 12.3 28.0 29.9 24.1 5.7 18-49 11.0 27.9 30.2 25.4 5.5 16-39 10.1 27.1 29.9 27.5 5.4 Ttl Ppl 16.9 28.7 27.7 21.1 5.6 *5 City, Free to Air Share – Primetime
- Channel Nine is Australia’s #1 primary channel for 25-54s and 18-49s
- Channel Nine wins the combined 5 City Metro and East Coast markets, plus the individual markets of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for 25-54s and 18-49s
Primary Channels ABC1 Seven Nine TEN SBS ONE 25-54 9.9 24.1 24.6 22.4 5.0 18-49 8.6 24.1 24.4 23.7 4.9 16-39 7.6 23.3 23.6 25.7 4.9 Ttl Ppl 14.5 24.6 23.5 19.8 5.0 *5 City, Free to Air Share – Primetime
An excerpt from Channel 7:
Seven delivers a double win in 2010. Seven’s primary channel is number 1 in primetime and overall and Seven’s broadcast platform is number 1 in primetime and overall across 6:00am-midnight in 2010. Seven’s broadcast platform of Seven, 7TWO and 7mate is up 7.5% in total viewers on Seven’s audience delivery in 2009.
Seven is delivering in all key audience demographics. Seven’s primary channel is number 1 for total viewers, 16-39s, 18-49s and 25-54s across the 6:00am-midnight broadcast day.
Seven’s primary channel is number 1 in primetime for total viewers and women 18-49 and women 25-54. On combined audiences, Seven’s platform of Seven, 7TWO and 7mate is number 1 in primetime for total viewers, women 16-39, women 18-49 and women 25-54.
Audience Shares: Primetime and Overall
1800-2400 0600-2400 ABC – Total 18.20% 16.90% ABC1 12.90% 14.50% ABC2 3.40% 1.60% ABC3 1.50% 0.50% ABC News 24 0.90% 0.50% Seven – Total 28.80% 28.70% Seven 25.00% 24.60% 7TWO 3.20% 3.50% 7mate 2.80% 2.70% Nine – Total 27.60% 27.70% Nine 22.90% 23.50% GO! 4.30% 3.80% GEM 1.90% 1.70% Ten – Total 21.00% 21.20% Ten 19.40% 19.70% ONE 1.60% 1.40% SBS – Total 4.40% 5.60% SBS ONE 3.90% 5.00% SBS TWO 0.50% 0.60% 6:00pm-midnight Primetime Audience Shares. Weeks 7-48, 2010. Free-to-air shares for 6:00pm-midnight. Consolidated 7 February – 19 November and Overnight for 20 – 27 November.
Seven delivers in all key audiences across primetime.
Total 16-39s 18-49s 25-54s ABC1 14.5% 7.6% 8.6% 9.9% ABC2 1.6% 1.9% 1.9% 1.9% ABC2 0.5% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% ABC New 24 0.5% 0.6% 0.5% 0.5% Seven 24.6% 23.3% 24.1% 24.1% 7TWO 3.5% 2.8% 3.0% 3.1% 7mate 2.7% 4.9% 4.2% 3.7% Nine 23.5% 23.7% 24.4% 24.6% GO! 3.8% 5.8% 5.3% 4.9% GEM 1.7% 2.2% 2.1% 2.1% Ten 19.7% 25.7% 23.7% 22.4% One 1.4% 1.8% 1.7% 1.7% SBS1 5.0% 4.9% 4.9% 5.0% SBS2 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.7% 6:00pm-midnight Primetime Audience Shares. Weeks 7-48, 2010. Free-to-air shares for 6:00pm-midnight. Consolidated 7 February – 19 November and Overnight for 20 – 27 November.
The kicker? They’re both right. 0.1 of a percentage point aside, reading the demographic split and overalls for the primary channels and the consolidated numbers including their digital multi-channel efforts has both Ch7 & Ch9 winning.
GO! proved to be the far stronger franchise digital multi, which you’d expected given it’s also the oldest general entertainment channel. Ch10 killed it in their key demo of 16-39s (which makes it even more interesting with their 2.5 hour news push in 2011 and the key demo for news really being 55+). Ch9 won all the demos under 55 with their consolidated demo figures. One killed it in the “most likely to have served time” category at it’s 20 year high school reunion. Actuaries across Australia rejoice – we brain mushed television watchers have found a use for you (keep an eye out for CSI:Accountancy & Actuaries coming soon – YEAH!).
It really doesn’t matter what we think when it comes to the ratings. TV nerds like myself will care. Advertisers will care infitintely more – the key numbers and demo splits are exactly what they want to know so that their hard-earned advertising spend can be directed to the right network/right demo/right timeslot/right program. All of this is to provide us with the information we needed to know about the Shamwow, or the CBA’s new approach to customer service, or to confirm that the colour of menstrual blood is blue. Advertising is where it’s at – to entertain and convince us where to spend our cash. The good ones are great, and the bad ones are horrible.. like those new weird KFC ads with some guy pretending to be Colonel Sanders. They’re just straight out whacked.
UPDATE:
Channel 10’s release has just come through, and to be entirely fair I have included their wins additionally…
- TEN recaptures first place in 18-49 (34.1%); up 1.9% year on year
- TEN wins its 10th consecutive year in 16-39 (37.0%); up 0.5% year on year
- TEN wins the year in daytime (39.2%); TEN News at Five is the year‟ top regular daytime program
- TEN is the only primary network to grow its audience in 25-54
- During prime-time (6:00pm – 10:30pm), TEN gains in all key demographics and total people (3-station CSHR)
- From 6:00pm – midnight, TEN gains in all key demographics and total people (3-station CSHR)
TEN’s strengthened position results from a targeted programming strategy which delivers the kind of inspirational and uplifting family entertainment that Australians want to watch. This year we added a raft of successful local formats with Junior MasterChef Australia, Offspring, Undercover Boss Australia and Keeping Up With The Joneses, complemented by the year’s best international content including Modern Family, Undercover Boss (US) and The Good Wife. TEN’s returning programs also performed strongly, with key properties such as MasterChef Australia, NCIS, Glee and The 7pm Project achieving significant year-on-year audience growth.
TEN is now well-positioned to continue expanding its prime-time audience with the addition of two News formats between 6:00pm and 7:00pm. Just as we did 18 months ago with The 7pm Project, TEN is committed to shaking up the early prime-time schedule, offering viewers the News that they clearly want, in a format that they can’t get anywhere else.
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