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Why did the west switch off Top Gear?

Nine ran movies in Perth and Adelaide after Top Gear numbers dropped in those cities.

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jerclIt’s taken some time but I have finally gotten to the bottom of why Top Gear hasn’t been screening in Perth and Adelaide of late.

It’s simply that the show didn’t rate in those cities well enough.

For the past few weeks the auto show aired in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on Nine, while movies aired in Adelaide and Perth.

It’s not ideal to have separate content in certain cities, but it’s hardly the first time.

When paired with the Footy Show, Nine was able to male-skew for the night, but without it the UK show is more susceptible to competition.

By having movies on Nine was able to drive its share longer in those cities, rather than have a low-performing show for just an hour.

It’s not clear why east coast viewers were still loyal enough to the show to have it air, especially when these have already aired on Foxtel.

10 Responses

  1. No serious Top Gear fans left anywhere in Australia – nearly all have seen from other sources/DVD/BBC online etc – after nines treatment of Top Gear UK.

    Whomever decided to take the rights off SBS and sold them to Nine signed the death warrant for Top Gear making any money in Australia, the Top Gear brand is so compromised in Australia now that they couldn’t give away new episodes for free.

    This was all predicted the day after nine announced that they had got Top Gear in 2009. it would have been cheaper for Nine to just put $20 million into a suitcase and set fire to it….

  2. I don’t like nor watch Top Gear. However two of my good mates do. From what they say your comments are spot on. No respect for viewerss and the old on and off routine as Maxwell Smart would say. One week its new and on, next week its old and off. Just like 9’s Big Bang Theory form. Consistency is the key.

  3. Thanks BBC Knowledge for delivering Top Gear just after it’s released in the UK, for starting right on the advertised time, for showing episodes in the proper sequence and for no repeats mixed in. It’ sad that I need to be thankful for something that I believe, is basic respect for one’s customers.

    Channel 9, you need to work on your people skills, as you simply don’t have any…

  4. Question is surely why people are watching it in the east? I’m a big fan and fortunately have access to alternative ways of viewing it but would simply go without rather than watch on 9. Their combination of cutting it short and randomly showing repeats and new episodes shows such contempt for their audience that I refuse to watch it on free to air as long as 9 has it. I hope they’ve lost a bundle on buying the rights and that this teaches them a lesson about respecting their audience.

  6. It’s sad that commercial stations throw money at good shows on ABC and SBS, then cut the show short to squeeze in ads, yet start it late anyways due to some reality hoo-har that editors can’t time right. Then no one watches, and the ratings fall, and the show disappears to make way for more reality rubbish on the cheap [production]. Wish they’d it alone, like TG, and it’d still be 1) in order and 2) on proper times.

  7. I’m in Perth and I gave up watching it on 9 coz it seemed inconsistent with showing new episodes vs repeats. Too often it’d be a case of “Seen this one!” and switch off. SBS didn’t do that as much.

  8. Nine should have never gotten its hands on Top Gear but I don’t know who to blame more them or those idiots at the BBC who let this happen?

    It was rating well on SBS and even the local version was doing well for them. I’m just glad I have BBCK so I can watch it soon after the UK with less ads and not wait month for Nine to air them now. If you’re lucky enough to live on the east coast.

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