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Seven’s Monday win overlooks news battle with Nine

Ratings: Seven wins Monday but still has headaches with Nine News pulling extraordinary figures in Melbourne.

2013-09-03_1013Seven sailed to a comfortable win on Monday night thanks to The X Factor being streets ahead of the competition. But it compensates for some alarming figures in its early evening timeslots, especially in Melbourne.

In Melbourne Nine News pulled out a huge 451,000, the biggest single audience of any show in any city across the evening. Seven News trailed with just 289,000.

In Sydney Nine News also won with 342,000 to Seven’s 289,000. Fortunately for Seven they won in Brisbane (273,00 vs 247,000), Adelaide (149,000 vs 99,000) and Perth (231,000 vs 115,000).

The lead for ACA over Today Tonight was equally stark in Melbourne, but the reverse in Perth while Hot Seat won on the eastern seaboard. Seven is already rolling out engaging promos for Million Dollar Minute as part of a wider plan to address those very issues.

Seven network still took the night with a comfy share of 31.5%, then Nine 25.6%, ABC 21.5%, TEN 16.8% and SBS 4.7%.

The X Factor (1.39m) topped the night as Cat Vas was sent home. Seven News (1.23m) was next then Today Tonight (1.08m), Home and Away (992,000), Mr. Selfridge (781,000 / 582,000) and Deal or No Deal (477,000).

Nine News was best for Nine with 1.25m viewers followed by A Current Affair (1.08m). Big Brother (918,000) saw Caleb evicted. The Amazing 80s was 775,000, Hot Seat was 669,000 and Footy Classified was 347,000 in 3 cities.

ABC News won its timeslot with 1.01m viewers. Next was Australian Story (884,000), 7:30 (791,000), Media Watch (725,000), Q & A (684,000), Four Corners (674,000) and Lateline (454,000).

Without Masterchef in its schedule, it will be fascinating to watch TEN’s numbers. David Attenborough’s Himalayas held up at 722,000. Next was TEN News (671,000), The Project (629,000), Wanted (448,000), The Simpsons (408,000). But Blue Bloods struggled on just 189,000.

Test Your Brain (256,000) topped SBS ONE then Housos (222,000), World News Australia (202,000) and Beat the Ancestors (195,000).

ABC2’s Mouk and Fireman Sam both tied for first place on multichannels with 317,000.

Sunrise: 368,000
Today: 339,000
ABC News Breakfast: 52,000 / 43,000

OzTAM Overnights: Monday 3 September 2013

13 Responses

  1. Nine News in Melbourne has a fantastic team.
    Peter Hitchiner has been doing news in Melbourne for nearly 40 years, Tony Jones is an award winning sports journalist, Lavinia Nixon is well liked and Rebecca Judd has been doing a great job in her absence for maternity leave. The whole production is far more polished and professional and makes Seven Melbourne’s 6pm news look like and Entertainment tonight style production.

  2. Did anyone see Ricky Lee on the XFactor? She was unrecognisable. It is a shame when people who are still young and attractive feel the need to get “work done”.

  3. Seven, with the exclusive FTA AFL rights, should be blitzing it in Melbourne in the run-up to the finals.

    Full credit to Nine for its investment in AFL programming outside of the official rights to bolster its news credibility and authority in this area.

  4. The lead-ins are the same everywhere. Million Dollar Minute is a national approach to matchings Hot Seats lead-in. The questions in the ads so far have been ridiculously easy and obviously nothing like the real ones.

    Nine must have a news or presents who appeal much more the Melbourne audience, something else Seven have to fix. Nine has always been strongest in Melbourne. Seven in Brisbane and Perth because they were strong local affiliates.

    In Sydney Seven took the lead in News a few years ago by going all local and tabloidy against Nines more serious National News. Nine copied them and with Hot Seat as a lead-in are back in front.

    1. Seven and Nine news have traditionally flip-flopped in Melbourne. Last year Nine hit the front and hasn’t looked back, but unlike Perth, the audience could decide to swing the other way almost as readily. I’ve been very clear that Seven’s issues stem across early evening, and the lead in is not the sole problem. I’ve also been very clear that $M Minute is part of a wider plan to address all of this. It does not stop and start with one half hour game show and Seven knows this. Deal has had a stellar run so no criticism there whatsoever.

  5. Agreed on lead-ins. I watch 7TWO from 5-6pm then flick to 7 news and occasionaly Hot Seat on Nine. I would never in a fit watch Deal or No Deal. I even PVR the news so I can watch it at 6.10pm and FF through the sport which has been shoved into the news section.
    I think that a lead-in is never really the main issue, with most shows its the day and time, or what other big show you put it against.

  6. Hot Seat didn’t just win on the eastern seaboard. It won nationally last night, as it does every night. Hot Seat is now also regularly beating Deal or No Deal in Perth, including last night

  7. I am with you alvar. I can’t see what the lead in has to do with it….for years I watched Hot Seat and then turned over to Seven news, I now watch Hot Seat and turn away from tv until ABC news at 7 pm.

  8. And I still maintain that the huge news gap in Melbourne can’t be solely attributed to the lead in. The product itself must be to blame in some part. In my household (Perth) the lead in doesn’t decide what channel we stick with, its the better program. It’s Hot Seat at 5.30 then over to Rick and Sue for Seven News.

  9. Absolutely hooked on BB! If last nights eviction results are anything to go by, people are voting for house drama over nice guys. And Tully’s partner has reportedly dumped her over Twitter after that moment with Drew under the doona.

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