Top ratings for Top Model

Last night’s finale for Australia’s Next Top Model was a big drawcard for Foxtel, becoming the highest ever audience on FOX8.

Across two screenings the show averaged 309,000 viewers, up 9% on last year. By comparison, last week’s top show on Pay TV was an AFL match with 231,000 viewers.

Viewers watched the announcement of Demelza over Alex in a live to air show that spanned almost two hours. No doubt some were also tuning in to see how Charlotte Dawson would fare, given the last minute exit of Jodhi Meares as host. She managed just fine under the circumstances.

It has also been dubbed, subscription TV’s “highest ever series.”

“This season audiences watched on Tuesday nights in droves, embracing our two finalists, Demelza and Alex, along with the rest of the girls as we broke ratings records each week throughout the series,” said Foxtel’s Brian Walsh.

Press Release:
Last night’s nail-biting, live final episode of AUSTRALIA’S NEXT TOP MODEL has smashed all previous viewing records for FOX8, attracting massive audiences as stunning schoolgirl Demelza Reveley was crowned queen of the catwalk.

OzTam results show the finale of AUSTRALIA’S NEXT TOP MODEL, which was screened live at 7.30pm, attracted an average audience of 309,000* and reached almost 570,000 viewers – giving FOX8 it’s highest audience ever.

The results have helped AUSTRALIA’S NEXT TOP MODEL become the highest rating television series ever on Subscription Television.

Over the past 11 weeks AUSTRALIA’S NEXT TOP MODEL, which is produced by Granada Productions for FOXTEL, has consistently been the number one ranked program on subscription television, with just under half a million people tuning in each Tuesday.

Overall, the combined average audience for this fourth series was up 30 per cent on the third series. And last night’s extended finale was up 9 per cent on last year’s corresponding episode, which saw Alice Burdeu walk away with the coveted title.

“Since launching on FOX8 in 2005, AUSTRALIA’S NEXT TOP MODEL has been a phenomenal success with audiences almost tripling in only four seasons to be the highest rating subscription TV series ever, “ said Brian Walsh, FOXTEL’s Executive Director of Television and Marketing.

“This season audiences watched on Tuesday nights in droves, embracing our two finalists, Demelza and Alex, along with the rest of the girls as we broke ratings records each week throughout the series.”

“Last night’s finale was live television at its finest and we are proud to have produced another impressive crop of Australian top models,” he said.

This fourth series of AUSTRALIA’S NEXT TOP MODEL was the second time a viewer vote was incorporated into the final decision, and it ended up being the sole decider in a very close finish.

Tens of thousands of interactive votes were recorded, with a huge amount of people exercising their mobile texting fingers as well to record their final choice. After the judges were split down the middle, it was the audience vote that had the final say and produced the winner.

* includes screenings on FOX8+2

Photo: Daily Telegraph