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800,000 + 300,000 = multichannel success

In this multichannel landscape, what kind of numbers does a Programmer view as a success?

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There’s some insight into a Programmer’s way of looking at ratings today, with TEN’s David Mott talking to The Australian.

In talking about the multichannel environment, he notes observers were focussed too much on primary channel numbers.

“A lot of people initially were just looking at, ‘Oh my God, the program on the primary channel has dropped’,” he said.

“Nowadays, if you can get between 800,000 and a million (viewers) for a show on the primary channel that’s a good number. And then when you couple it with 300,000 or so that you’re getting on your multichannels at the same time that’s where you get some value.”

This is a fair point. Getting a million viewers on the Primary Channel with another 300,000 on the digital channel is a win / win (more so if they top the demos). It doesn’t happen too often. Seven pulls it off when Heartbeat on 7TWO is playing while The X Factor is on. Nine probably manages it when The Big Bang Theory on GO! complements The Mentalist or something similar.

Neighbours on ELEVEN gets around 300,000 but it’s played while The Project sits around 550,000 in its new one hour format. The Project is going to have a hard time lifting without a stronger lead-in from 6-6:30pm, although it may benefit during summer.

If you add up say 150,000 on 7mate with 150,000 on 7TWO plus a million on Seven (and so forth on Nine and TEN Networks) then you would also get those totals.

“There is no question that 12 months ago TEN’s multichannel strategy was a muddled strategy. We had to improve an under-performing ONE and we had to get ELEVEN on air,” Mott said. “There were a lot of management changes as a result of that.

“I think TEN now has it right and you’re going to see further growth.”

I’m not convinced ONE is working well enough yet. In the last 18 weeks it has only reached its target of 2.5% twice. I get that it’s a male-skewed channel, but it still feels like a lazy sports channel with an hour of low level drama chucked somewhere into prime time (that said I did enjoy The Killing last week).

I’m also confused as to why first-run Simpsons is competing head to head with first-run Glee on ELEVEN / TEN. Aren’t these similar rather than complementary demos? I’d watch both if I could, but I have missed so many Simpsons now.

However it is clear we have to keep re-adjusting our expectations for the kinds of numbers from programmes in this ever-changing landscape.

“These aren’t going to be multichannels in times to come, they are going to be channels just like (the main channels),” says Mott.

23 Responses

  1. Yes it sounds like a fairly reasonable assessment to me too.

    David I always wondered how you managed to watch everything (I was picturing like 5 pvrs all linked together) but I now see you have to make sacrifices too 🙂

  3. While I think Mr Mott is not exactly a genius when it comes to programming, I think he will be proved right about the newer channels. Australia has yet to produce much of its own content for these, with most networks just lazily buying up foreign output. Take a look overseas and the history of The Inbetweeners, success can come to smart, brave tv exces with a bit of vision, unfortunately we have predominantly a bunch of tossers involved in our networks with a couple of exceptions.

  4. “There is no question that 12 months ago TEN’s multichannel strategy was a muddled strategy”

    IMO their multichannel strategy was a lot more defined 12 months ago than it is now. Ten was going broader with more interest in the over 40s, One was for sports viewers (predominantly hard-to-reach young male viewers) and Eleven was preparing to launch for teens and under 30s.

    Since Mr Murdoch and co. have taken over Ten, One and Eleven are now all competing for much the same audience, with One still perhaps leaning more towards males. The fact that the same movie titles (e.g. Aliens) are now doing the rounds between their channels indicates there is no clear distinction between them. Plus now there is the first half of The Project competing against Neighbours – both shows I would think chasing a similar audience.

    Hence Ten’s overall market share isn’t going anywhere because its channels are eating each other up, but Seven is unbeatable as it has a clear strategy for its multichannel options by having different demographics covered.

  5. David Mott says that one day there arn’t going to be called multichannels in future as they will be like a main channel you have got to be joking David.That won’t happen.I think we all know the ratings system sucks.But Mr.Mott what does the advertisers take more notice of when it comes to ratings the Primary Channels everytime,and watching it Live not the recorded version.Certainly very backwards Qubec the way this system runs.We keep mentioning it but nothing is being done about it lol…..900,000 and above is probably where the figure the Networks for Australian programs would be very happy with……800,000 is a shaky figure

  6. Ten has by far the worst multichannel strategy of any network. Ten, Eleven and now One are so often competing for the same audience in the same timeslot, there is very little variance.

    I think Seven have the best mix with 7mate (under 55’s and male skew), 7TWO (25+ and older skew), Seven (18-49, 25-54, total people with a slight female skew).

  7. “Nowadays, if you can get between 800,000 and a million (viewers) for a show on the primary channel that’s a good number.” With that logic hopefully The Renovators will return next year. It kept a steady audience of around 800,000 throughout.

  8. Qubec, Foxtel consolidate their ratings all the time. Look at the way the Australian reports subscription TV audience share or any Foxtel press releases during summer.

  9. Said it many times before, but seems far more appropriate now there’s a story about it… Why the multichannels are counted towards overall network share is beyond me! No where else does it and it makes little sense. Take America for example, Fox, FX and Fox News are all owned by the same company but they don’t all get consolidated at the end of the day just because they happen to be run by the same network. Heck, it’s rather hypocritical that free to air gets consolidated ratings and yet Foxtel doesn’t. Why should Nine/Go/GEM be classified as one overall rating experience but TV1 and the SCI FI channel (which is under the same situation) are not allowed to consolidate their ratings?
    The whole thing is rather backwards. And the moment it’s stopped we’ll begin to see consistency on the multichannels and proper schedules that aren’t plagued by repeats and second viewings of main channel shows.

  10. Well it’s still no excuse as to how the ABC (primary channel) manages to win over TEN (primary channel) most nights as of late..

    Also, I’ve been saying for over 6 months now that The Simpsons should be back on the main channel. Put it where it was on Tuesdays at 7.30 and shove the Modern Family repeats onto ELEVEN.

  11. So an advertiser would have to be in at least 2 channels with the one network to get the same audience.
    I wonder if the advertising rates of the primary channels has dropped accordingly? Somehow I doubt it. “Cha-Ching”

  12. Comparing The Simpsons to Glee is like comparing a new Mercedes SLK to a burnt out Ford Fiesta that’s fallen off the Gap and washed around the rocks for a week or two. But you’re right about ONE, it’s lazy and can’t decide if it’s still a sports channel or not. I’ve watched it no more since its change of direction was announced than I did previously – i.e. not at all.

    As far as the viewers are concerned the ‘multi-channels’ are already just like the ‘main’ channels – they’re mostly full of unwatchable crap!

  14. I agree they have to look differently at things now. In the Sun-Herald TV guide it demonstated how The Project isnt just up against ACA and Today2Night but also, 21/2 on GO and How I met you mother on Mate, real competition to thier audience.

  17. Maybe this is the reason the network totals are swinging so much for TEN v ABC, on night TEN will have a huge lead nudging Nine, the next Nine and ABC are fighting for 2nd place. If the prime and the digitals have a bad night it can drag down the network, but just a few more points from each and your fighting with the big boys. I guess it’s more important now to have better average numbers rather than 2 million on the prime channel for one hour.

    David with the on-demand services like iView, how do they play into the network ratings?

  20. Just my 2 cents: I like the Simpsons but would never ever watch Glee. But yes, it’s quite interesting how the puzzle pieces fit together. I’m not sure I like it.

  21. “I’d watch both if I could, but I have missed so many Simpsons now.”

    I am exactly the same. Sorry, but something like Glee that has a story arc over episodes is the priority. I’d love to see The Simpsons at a different time – but because of the clash, I’ll just wait til it comes out on dvd.

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