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Is Week 41 Nine’s last shot?

Nine hasn't won a week since July, and kicks off this week with an 8% lead. But will it hold up?

With 2.07m viewers for the NRL Grand Final it’s game on in TV land for this week’s ratings crown.

Last night the network attracted a 33.2% share over rival Seven’s 25.2%. Nine hasn’t won a ratings week since July.

Just the second hour of the match factored into Nine’s primetime share, only in Sydney and Melbourne. Time delays in Queensland, and South Australia meant a slim 30 minutes made it into primetime, and none in Western Australia. At least it gave Nine’s other shows a healthy lead-in.

In comparison to 2007, moving the NRL final from 7pm to 5pm has cost the Nine Network. Last year it reached 2.38m with a 40.7% share, Nine’s biggest audience of ’07.

NRL chief executive David Gallop has refused to guarantee the daytime grand final will be kept for next season. “It certainly appeared to be a success but there’s a number of things we want to look at in the cold light of day,” Gallop said. “Things like television ratings. And we were probably a thousand or so people short of a sellout. There are those things to look at but it appears to have been a success. Everything’s under review.”

Many will argue this could be Nine’s last shot at a weekly win before ratings conclude at the end of November. But despite a strong Sunday, Seven will hit back tonight and tomorrow. On Thursday it has a new line-up.

Excluding two weeks of Olympics, Seven has 19 wins to Nine’s 10 (bookended by Opening and Closing ceremonies technically the Olympics factored into four weeks of ratings: Seven 17 / Nine 10).

But as any observer knows, winning Sunday with an 8% lead is no guarantee of anything.

Only 3 weeks ago Nine had a 7% lead over Seven after its Sunday night -and it still lost the week.

If only Nine could get Charlie Sheen to play rugby league, they’d have themselves a mighty goal…

Week 41

Source / photo: smh.com.au

11 Responses

  1. They just don’t get it if people have to make the effort to double check that what is in the tv guide is correct or not. If they must pull a show, bump them, or delay them, wait a week so it can make it in the guide. Frustrating audiences in such a changing media environment is hardly a smart idea, but the networks have made this into an art form.

  2. Zamora, try the tv guide on ninemsn.com.au its usually pretty accurate. I usually use the green guide or the weekend liftouts but 90% of the time they’re wrong – very frustrating.

  3. Unfortunately we’re now in an era where print copy is put to bed too early to compensate for network changes. TV Week is probably the earliest to bed, followed by weekend papers and then dailies.

  4. How can Nine expect to win ratings when I, for one, have no idea if my show will be on..and then if it is, fat chance it will start within 10 minutes of scheduled time.

    I rely on w/end paper or Weds Herald sun to get liftout and let’s face it, Nine just does not get the continuity factor.

    We should not have to tune in every night at 6pm to find out, what is on that night.

  5. That’s alot less than they would have been hoping for. Seven should be infront by Wednesday and will have fingers crossed for Thursday to see how Heroes goes.

  6. I doubt it is Nine’s last chance, and I doubt they will win the week. Nine is slowing starting to fill their schedule, but I don’t think they are doing it correctly. CSI on Monday’s will lessen the impact but Cold Case on Monday 9.30 is a waste. They should use that on Wednesday 8.30 followed by Fringe to try and boost it’s ratings more. And CSI: NY would be better following CSI back on Mondays. Plus Two and a Half Men on Mondays and Wednesday’s at 7.30 need to be replaced, along with Tuesday 9.30. 20 to 01 isn’t that strong except with the younger demos. Nine also need to remove The Strip from Thursday, it is going downhill. I would put RPA at 8.30 followed by The Gift at 9.30 and Amazing Medical Stories at 10.30 – a medical Thursday. Friday also needs something at 7.30 to try and weaken BH&G, perhaps Primeval? However, Nine also has the Rugby League World Cup coming in two weeks, so Saturdays and Sundays will be interupted significantly for them until summer.

  7. Nah doubt it though they may win in the younger demos. Seven will run out the year strongly thanks to the olympics. Nine would be very happy with it’s year though especially the dramatic improvements in the under 50s and will be looking forward to 2009.

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