0/5

Footy Show shift fails to fire

Ratings: On these numbers can The Footy Show even make it to the end of season?

Nine’s attempt to move The Footy Show away from The Front Bar did it few favours last night.

Screening at 7:30pm it drew just 157,000 (including later broadcasts in Sydney & Brisbane). In Melbourne only 93,000 watched. Despite being up on last week’s 108,000 the numbers are dismal for the timeslot.

By comparison The Front Bar had its best numbers all year at 428,000 at 8:30pm, with 287,000 in Melbourne.

Since its revamp last month The Footy Show has struggled to carve out a new audience, despite Nine hoping the title retention might transition viewers across.

Shane Crawford and Brendan Fevola were the sole presenters from the former show to remain alongside Lehmo, Neroli Meadows and Dylan Alcott. Eddie McGuire’s Jam TV produces. Any other show on those numbers in primetime would doubtless get short shrift from Programming.

Seven yesterday won the night, with Home & Away the top entertainment drawcard at 596,000. Survey ratings resume on Sunday.

OzTAM Overnights: Thursday 25 April 2019

16 Responses

  1. The Front Bar is easy and enjoyable to watch because the team don’t try too hard. They’re three intelligent and easy going people who know where the boundaries of light entertainment sit and push them to the limit at times but rarely cross them. There is also a clear and genuine connection between them and not something manufactured by the network or Eddie.

  2. Lehmo and Neroli aren’t bad but I just feel it’s missing the loud vibrant personalities of the past like JB, Billy and Sam. Show began to slide in quality after JB left I reckon. I know he wasn’t there last night but not really sure what the purpose of Dylan Alcott on the show is. You already have two other general football fans maybe another ex player would be better. Apart from last night also unclear what Shane Crawford’s role is on the show, doesn’t appear to do much. Also Billy and Chris Judd should be the footy experts instead of Matthew Lloyd and Nathan Brown.

  3. Channel 9 should bite the bullet and ditch The Footy Show. I don’t know why they have such a program when they don’t broadcast AFL games. A good drama or documentary would rate better than any footy panel show. When Masterchef starts on TEN next week I reckon it will dominate Thursdays. Look out 7 and 9.

    1. Sunny, I think that is a pretty silly comment. So just because Nine don’t have the rights to the AFL, they shouldn’t air a football show? 10 still aired “Before the Game” for a couple of years without it and there are numerous other examples.

      1. Not a silly comment at all. My comment is extremely appropriate given the current circumstances. I did not say that 9 shouldn’t air a football show. I said I don’t know why they do. The fact that 10 no longer have “Before the Game” adds credence to my comment.

    2. Its such a shame – you look at the set and its almost the same but something is missing. Its the entire cast of the previous year of the FS. Why oh why did they not come up with a brand new show…

  4. Keeping the name of a show that had a bad reputation for controversy is not a good way forward. It’s often said in marketing that it is better to rebrand than to maintain a title that has negative connotations.

  5. Except for Shane Crawford there is no one on this show who I think is credible and would have views I would be interested in. Bite the bullet Eddie and think again.

    1. Bingo. I just don’t associate the new panel with football knowledge or credentials. It also feels like it’s just trying to be funny whereas the previous incarnation was genuinely funny without trying. I miss Sam. The banter and discussions felt more natural before. I guess it had a good run, now scrap it.

  6. No matter what they call it, it won’t rate.
    The problem with the show is that it’s boring and has no sense of direction. It’s just a bunch of people sitting around carrying on like children and talking over the top of one another. A bit like question time. Enough to put anyone to sleep.

    1. That was my biggest problem revisiting it with the new format as well, a bit of direction would really help, sure have the odd mistake here and there The Front Bar does but seeming totally lost is very off putting.

      Also as much as I loved Neroli Meadows on Before The Game plus Santo, Sam and Ed’s Total Football, on this Neroli’s constant breaking into laughter got annoying. Unfortunately it is one of the things that get to me, Jimmy Fallon is unwatchable for me for a similar reason, I just find it way to distracting, almost like finger nails down a blackboard.

    1. I don’t think the show is aimed just at men, if I understand your statement correctly. My partner is female and will watch the show whether i’m home when it’s on or not. She loves it, she likes it because it’s funny. She doesn’t know who most of the guests are, but enjoys the banter between the hosts and the guests. While it’s a show about footy, it’s not really a show about footy and that’s why I think it’s so popular.

      1. I watched a few minutes last night of The Front Bar and found it funny but turned on the TV to watch something on ABC iView. I like Sam Pang. He’s quick witted and even though I am not a big footy fan I can see it’s appeal. I hate the former Footy Show. Perhaps the stigma around is why I never liked it.

  7. The brand is toxic. Punters will not tune in to something called ‘The Footy Show’. I don’t understand how Nine don’t understand. Whatever the expense of promoting the ‘new’ show with a new name, they need to do it.

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