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Nine snatches #1 from Seven

The Nine Network has officially taken pole position in the 2008 ratings, by tieing the number of weekly wins with Seven -at nine all- but remaining in front of Seven on overall network share.

It is effectively the first time since week one of 2008 ratings that Nine can comprehensively claim it is “still the one.” But the race is so tight, that Seven could snatch back weekly wins within 7 days.

Nine won the week with a 29.5% over Seven’s 27.6% and TEN’s 19.8% -slipping to another 2008 low. The ABC had 17.5% and SBS 5.6%.

Nine won Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Seven won Adelaide and Perth.

In 2008 Commercial Share Nine has 36.1%, ahead of Seven’s 35.8% and TEN’s 28.0%. The State of Origin decider helped Nine across the line this week, with a whopping 2.14m viewers -the highest audience in the ratings year, only bettered by the Australian Open’s final of 2.35m in summer. Nine has enjoyed a vastly improved 2008 with successes like Underbelly, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, 60 Minutes, State of Origin, Sea Patrol, David Attenborough, Domestic Blitz, Search and Rescue and Schapelle Corby: Hidden Truth. But it has not all been smooth sailing with flops including Monster House, Power of Ten and Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune.

Seven meanwhile has the Olympics coming to help it gain traction, while TEN must be looking with some optimism to the end of Big Brother.

Week 27 was the week that TiVo was officially launched, a new Aussie soap was decommissioned by the BBC, The Gruen Transfer won a second series, NRL thrashed Rugby Union, a controversial politician called the cops on ACA, Selma Blair hit back at Aussie Kath & Kim fans, a teenage guitarist won Australia’s Got Talent, Access 31 was rescued by a financial saviour, Bert Newton was adored by his state, Screen Australia took over from the AFC / FFC and Film Australia, the fathers of two young women in reality series defended their behaviour, and, unbelievably, a host opted not to turn up for her programme’s own live to air finale.

Nine’s other top shows this week included 60 Minutes, Domestic Blitz, CSI, Hell’s Kitchen, Getaway, Two and a Half Men, A Current Affair and National Nine News. NRL wasn’t the only free kick for Nine. The EJ Whitten game was the third highest viewed AFL Match in Melbourne this year. Farmer Wants a Wife did ok against tough competition to nab 1.26m. But Bad Lads Army was pulled by Nine after just one episode of 724,000. The figure wasn’t that dire -how many viewers did they really expect it to get? The return of Antiques Roadshow (at 1 hr) was averaging around the same as Wheel of Fortune’s final week. While it may have a different demographic pull its best figure was 639,000 well behind Deal or No Deal. Nine News can never hope to make up ground while its lead in languishes so far behind.

The return of City Homicide was Seven’s top show of the week at 1.61m, an encouraging sign so early in its new series. It upstaged both Australia’s Got Talent (1.58m) and Sunday’s News (1.57m). Also strong were Seven News, Border Security, Today Tonight, Better Homes and Gardens, Surf Patrol, Home and Away and Private Practice. The premiere of Lipstick Jungle (925,000) suggests Seven was right to slate it in a late timeslot. There was a big drop between talented Aussies and World’s Got Talent (1.05m) despite the latter actually having the better acts. Ugly Betty’s last ep for the time being took 1m viewers. But Rugby Union lets down the side with only 535,000 viewers on Saturday.

NCIS was again TEN’s best at 1.31m. Even the repeat held at 1.2m. But the bottom fell out of its pants on Wednesday when it couldn’t compete against the State of Origin -it managed only half of Nine’s share and landed behind the ABC. The Simpsons and Law & Order: SVU (despite the later timeslot) reaffirmed US imports as TEN’s biggest drawcards. Big Brother’s eviction only just managed 1m viewers, Rove did ok considering. There was also good news for the premiere of Mark Loves Sharon, holding almost all of its audience from Good News Week. TEN still leads the 16-39 demographic for the year, but not its newly-pursued 18-49 demographic.

The bold move to push Doctor Who to Sunday nights paid off for the ABC -or was it a little help from Kylie Minogue? Either way it was the ABC’s biggest show for the week at 1.24m viewers. It bettered Spicks and Specks (1.11m) and Gruen Transfer (1.05m), both challenged by State of Origin. Elsewhere ABC News, New Inventors, Australian Story, Einstein Factor, Silent Witness, Catalyst, Spooks and The Bill were all strong.

Top Gear was tops for SBS at 872,000 ahead of BB nominations.

Week 27

3 Responses

  1. hey david. first i love this blog!! it rules. i wanted to know if in the next few weeks you could show the daily results of 9am with david and kim, neighbours, 10 late news and 10 news at 5. these really interest me. thanks heaps man and keep up the good work!!!:)

  2. Yes they certainly have. Now they have both. It’s true that annual network share is the decider, but weeks also configure prominently in reporting (last year we all remember the stories about Nine winning 2 weeks). Most media also track the total weekly wins in reporting. What is significant this week is that Nine now has both weekly wins and share together.

  3. David, you don’t count weekly wins; the only thing that matters is share points, and that is why Nine has been claiming first status for a number of weeks.

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