★★★★★ 0/5

ARIAs off-key with 624,000 viewers

Last night the annual music industry event took roughly half the numbers of a weekly talent show.

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Last night’s sprawling presentation of the ARIA Awards pulled just 624,000 viewers for TEN.

It lost half the audience of the Junior MasterChef lead-in, which won its timeslot with an excellent 1.44m viewers. Admittedly there is a shift from family to youth viewers between the two shows in a later timeslot, but even Bones beat the ARIAs in the 18-49 demo.

It kind of makes you wonder, if we’re looking at the future of the network as chasing a broad audience or a youth audience, which plan makes more sense? Or was it just an indication of a poorly-packaged show?

It trailed the 2009 presentation by Nine. Staged last year on a Thursday night the ARIAs were 708,000.

Meanwhile Bones was an excellent 1.44m viewers for Seven. The X Factor did well with 1.24m viewers. Is there some irony that the show for the music industry takes roughly half the numbers of a talent show? X Factor is slowly working its way towards a decent finale, keeping up the showy production values, especially notable during Andrew Lawson’s performance of Black and Gold. Ironically, both shows were produced by FremantleMedia Australia.

Nine’s cricket broadcast ended early so preliminary figures are misleading. Enter Two and a Half Men as filler. Nine took a 23.8% share in network figures with 17.5% share for the primary channel, which was third. GO! was strong on 5.8%.

Best for ABC1 was Poirot: Evil Under The Sun on 1.05m and A History Of Scotland was 341,000 on SBS ONE.

Week 46
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28 Responses

  2. @ Todd : What do you classify “commercially successful”? Angus and Julia Stone’s album “Down The Way” is currently at Number 10 on the ARIA charts after 34 weeks during which time is was Number One for several weeks and has achieved Pplatinum status. Washington’s “I Believe You Liar” peaked at Number 3 and has acheived Gold status. The Temper Trap also had a Number One album and have been absolutely flogged on commercial radio.

  3. Terrible show, but amazing music.
    It’s just a pity they can’t make the show better, then the whole package would be amazing.

    Also, Angus & Julia Stone’s performance was magic.
    But the hosting was cringe worthy and so were the “jokes”.

  4. who the hell at 10 still thinks rebel wilson is still funny
    a big no
    awafull direction and all over the place with presenters and winners
    give it a wide birth TEN

  5. It was an embarrassment in my opinion! I felt awkward in my seat watching the amateur presenters. The only two decent people presenting were Rebel and Nat. Why do pop acts not get any recognition? I think if they did the ARIAS would get a lot more viewers, hence why it is called ‘pop’ music.

  6. there is no doubt that music awards shows are on the downward spiral at least in this country. The ARIAS needs to be completely refurbished and redoveloped, the broadcast production needs to be impoved no doubt. Maybe ARIA should send the awards to pay tv i really didnt want to say that but hey rating are down and the production is bad, maybe music is taken for granted by the Television industry in this country. I mean how can you explain Video Hits not winning any awards. They the logie idiots put it in the light entertainment category, when its clearly a music show. Music gets no respect on fta anymore shame.

  7. @ Bruce Banner – spot on. Never heard of most of the winners/performers. The ARIAs refuse to support commercially successful Aussie artists… it’s a bloody joke!

  8. After watching previous years of ARIA awards.

    The last 2 have been a bloody shambles.

    I thought last year was bad enough.

    But last night was a disgrace.

    All over the bloody place

  9. have to agree that last night xfactor was one of the more impressive production wise. first time in ages they’ve pulled out the smoke machine and let off a few fireworks and flames. makes the show feel like its a real major concert. will be interesting to see what happens tonight, with performances by jess mauboy and jason derulo, and the mel b group performance, going up against the last 2.5 men of the year as well as CMC. Also wonder how many people will tune in for the PTTR replay, im guessing 700k-800k.

    should’ve tivo’d the arias after all, just to see all the fuss! im sure the performances would’ve looked great with sydney as the backdrop?

  10. Soo much money spent on this and on the lead up events, TEN will be angry and disappointed at such a bad show and bad numbers. Rebel Wilson was pretty much the Main host. Funniest presenters: Lara Bingle trying to have a conversation with Jason Derul-ll-o

  11. I was lucky enough to be out to dinner with my family and my Foxtel IQ record it for me
    When I came home I Fast Forwarrd all the talk and just watched the acts which were great
    The hosts of the show were disapponting and the layout of the show how many hosts do you really need it was like the end of big brother when the winning house mate leaves the house for the last time traveling to the center stage meeting all the past house mates boring!

  13. That was 623,999 viewers more than it deserved. I am still traumatised this afternoon from watching that debacle. Absolutely, utterly dreadful. So inexcusably bad that Fremantle must never be given production duties for it ever again. The executive in charge of production should be sacked for it. Why, oh why can’t Australia produce a decent, watchable awards show?

  14. The fact that it was the worst two hours of TV for some time wouldn’t have helped the ratings but neither would a large proportion of its target demo being out on a Saturday night.

  16. Interesting contrast between the Rockwiz presented Aria Hall of fame and Ten’s main Aria presentation. One event was cool, sophisticated, funny and well produced the other was a bigger car-crash than the one that claimed young Ms Rafter last week!

  21. I watched about 10 mins and couldn’t handle it anymore…
    What an absolute disgrace of an awards show! It made Gretel Killeen hosting of the logies look like a masterpiece.

    The music was great but the hosting was terrible and someone please tell Natalie to Stop Yelling!

    Still cringing at the thought or it!

    Riki Lee your pathetic attempt at humour with actor Eric Stonestreet was possible the most embarrassing thing i have ever seen! Truely truely awful!

  22. I gave the arias 10 mins. Thats 10mins of my life i ll never get back. I rate it low point for television this year.
    Rockwiz did a far better job with the hall of fame. A much more classy event

  23. I tuned out after about 15 minutes. At least half of the presenters were absolutely smashed and the whole thing felt awkward. It just didn’t feel like an awards show.

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