Today show hits ratings low
Ratings: Today show drops to an alarming 177,000. Just as well Nine is smashing it in primetime.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
Nine’s Today show hit a ratings low of 177,000 metro viewers yesterday.
Sunrise was up at 300,000 viewers while News Breakfast pulled 145,000 across both ABC and ABC News channels.
Nine’s best figure so far this week was 220,000 viewers on Monday.
Change never comes easily in the rusted-on genre of breakfast television. Nine recently revamped the show, tossing out almost all of its on-air team, following a disappointing 2018 and continuous headlines.
The new-look cast led by Georgie Gardner, Deb Knight and Tom Steinfort are now in their fourth week and Nine has indicated it sees the battle as a long contest.
Nine Programming Director Hamish Turner recently told TV Tonight, “This show runs 3 hours 7 days a week if you include Weekend Today, 365 days a year. So it’s a marathon not a sprint, and I think even over the past week they have found their groove.”
Thankfully Nine is scoring where it matters in primetime, with Married at First Sight smashing My Kitchen Rules. Nine’s first dinner party episode last night was a season high of 1.28m viewers against MKR‘s 816,000. Nine won the contest in every city except Seven’s stronghold in Perth. 10’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here was fourth in its slot at 537,000 for the elimination of Tahir Bilgic.
This week Nine’s Director of Television Michael Healy said, “2018 was the year that Married at First Sight overtook its rival to become the most watched show on Australian TV.
“One year later we are seeing the audience continue to grow – across both TV and 9Now – as the show again captures the national water-cooler conversation with people who are tuning in to join our participants’ search for love.”
2019 ratings survey begins on Sunday.
Updated: Nine has disputed 177,000 is an all-time low, indicating a number of other results and its lowest weekday figure of 116,000 on Christmas Day 2005. TV Tonight apologises for any confusion.
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- Tagged with Married at First Sight, My Kitchen Rules, News Breakfast, Sunrise
22 Responses
Whilst I am Glad Karl and his talentless brother have been given the boot, the Today show is just terrible now, the only highlight is Steve Jacobs and Tony Jones (but even he is adhoc), the two female presenters are just terrible and the new young entertainment presenter is the worst of all, just horrendous
With respect these kinds of comments add little value. If you have a problem with their presenting style it would help to outline the issues.
The Chaser have a campaign going on Facebook to get a photo of an ibis (otherwise known as the Bin Chicken) with more viewers than The Today Show… 🙂
You can’t manufacture chemistry. They’ve got great topics, but its a panel of boring hosts. Getting rid of Karl was the right thing to do, Nine just made a mess of replacing him
Will Today end up largely unwatched like Ten’s Wakeup and be axed?
The new Today Show is so disjointed. I can’t believe i’m actually going to say this but it was better with Karl.
As for the rest of primetime well i don’t watch anything between 7pm and 9pm. There is way too much reality crap. Has given me a lot of extra time thats for sure. Doesn’t surprise me that MAFS is rating well though. Trash tv seems all the rage
I wonder with so many options to watch these days whether morning shows still hold the same appeal.
As far as I know Sunrise and Today have never ran on Christmas Day. Not panic stations yet but things better improve.
I like Deb but I really think she is still trying too hard. Settle Deb settle !!
Hi David,
We only get the national figures for the today v sunrise.
what is the general metro split ?
Did today win Sydney, Melb & Bris last year ?
West coast numbers do flatter 7 generally.
Sunrise in all 5 metro yesty.
Ah yes and over on TeEN (then 0) was Fredd Bear’s Breakfast-A-Go-Go later replaced by Non Stop Cartoon Carnival (then out of my time The Early Bird Show). I’ve often thought how we used to get up for school and watch what would now be considered M Rated material like The Three Stooges, The Samurai and of course a lot of the cartoons themselves weren’t exactly non-violent … poor Wile E. Coyote and his “look-a-like relation” Ralph E. Wolf.
Ah the old days.
Bring back The Super flying fun show. I was livid as a youngster when they took it off
Haven’t heard of that one for ages! Go Miss Marilyn.
Congrats to all the team on MAFS, it is bloody brilliant. All the other reality shows are now looking tired, predictable and boring by comparison. MAFS has actually brought me back from Netflix. Can’t believe I’m admitting that. But seriously, those guys have found the magic formula. And the casting! Do those people really exist? Where do they come from?! The ‘experts’ are plastic and dreadful but that just enhances the melodrama. Great editing and post producing and most importantly, the field producing is genius – even if those naughty kiddies with clipboards will need absolution from above when they eventually retire to new lives on witness protection. Bra-bloody-vo.
I’m probably in the minority but I’ve found myself watching it more regularly in the last few weeks. It just seems a bit calmer and slightly more news focused in recent weeks. I still find myself flicking back to ABC breakfast during ad breaks or Married at First Sight segments but overall I think the quality of Today has improved over what I saw of it in the last few years.
I think the new lineup on the today show is an improvement but there is something lacking that I can’t put my finger on and I think it might be the ‘try hard’ factor for me as well. They don’t seem to gel that well. It’s like having that new friend who acts like you’ve been best friends for life, when you hardly know them and they become annoying very fast.
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I’ve started watching the Today Show again and I’m enjoying it. One of the things that feels really flat though is not having one of the presenters out on the road, away from a news event. That’s where Sunrise dominates – even though it’s generally only a weather segment, they’re out giving viewers a taste of Australia they wouldn’t usually experience. Sam Armytage always mentions Wagga Wagga and it gives a sense she’s in touch with other parts of the country. The Today Show presenters need to embrace their roots and show they’re in-touch with other parts of the country, not just bound to a stuffy studio.
I don’t think people are watching MAFS for the “search of love” but rather for the train wreck / trash TV element. As for Today it has a long way to go to get back on top if it ever will.
Surprised to see Richard Wilkins back on the set. Along with Steve Jacobs seems like a conscious effort to balance the genders on the show. I still think they are all a bit try hard for me.
Yeah, where is Brooke Boney? haven’t tuned in as I like ABC Breakfast, but once daylight savings ends I can trial it at 5:30am when ABC Breakfast is not longer on News 24 at that hour.
The new set looks quite fresh and less gimmicky.