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Today show hits new 2019 low

Ratings: Just 163,000 for Nine's breakfast team, while 10 also suffers some primetime headaches.

The Today show has hit a new 2019 low of just 163,000 viewers which will fuel further media speculation about possible changes for 2020.

The show was thumped by Sunrise at 277,000 and barely beat ABC’s News Breakfast with was 153,000 across two channels.

Nine fared better in primetime as The Block won its slot at 25-54s on 804,000.

That was ahead of The Bachelorette on 593,000, and topping younger demos.

Motorbike Cops (487,000), 7:30 (466,000), Highway Patrol (446,000) and Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery (438,000) all followed.

Gruen led from 8:30pm at 587,000 then The Good Doctor (477,000 ), Love Island (320,000) Struggle Street (249,000) and Playing for Keeps (231,000).

Nine network won Wednesday with 29.4% then Seven 27.7%, 10 18.7%, ABC 16.2% and SBS 8.1%.

Nine News was 773,000 / 764,000 for Nine then A Current Affair (672,000), and Hot Seat (438,000 / 254,000). A replay of The Man With The World’s Biggest Testicles was 206,000 in 4 cities. Ouch.

Seven News was #1 at 888,000 / 872,000 then Home & Away (542,000). The Chase drew 478,000 / 316,000 and God Friended Me was 252,000.

The Project drew 407,000 / 252,000 for 10 then 10 News First (309,000). But Celebrity Name Game was also low at just 163,000. BH90210 was only 97,000.

ABC News (577,000), Frayed (310,000) QI (176,000) and The Drum (147,000) also comprised ABC’s night.

On SBS it was  Britain’s Ancient Tracks (196,000), SBS World News (110,000) and The Looming Tower (87,000).

NCIS: LA led multichannels at 162,000.

OzTAM Overnights: Wednesday 30 October 2019.

43 Responses

  1. If Seven were smart they would try and get Karl. If he goes back to Today they will get an instant lift of 50 K viewers. Seven could use him as a fill in for Kochie and other stuff. Imagine Karl and Sam together. It would go off.

    1. @ jonno, Channel Seven tried to lure Karl Stefanovic on two occasions. The first in 2008 by then Deputy CEO David Leckie. Karl stayed with Nine. Then Nine tried to get Larry Emdur in 2012 and he stayed with Seven. In 2015, Seven tried once more to bring Karl on deck to no avail, as well as Eddie McGuire. I’m glad none of them came on board and I hope this never happens.

  2. I find the problem with morning tv it becomes repetitive and the same news delivered on half hour read in the same manner. If it’s news style you want then change it to a news style show like Sky or ABC. They need to become more entertaining. Funnily enough l reckon the Project would work in the morning if it had some music clips thrown in.

  3. I’ve said it a million times. Today needs a big point of difference.

    Local “Today in Sydney” more traditional news bulletin format 5.30am-7am with local versions in 5 markets

    Then from 7-9 “Today” with local “Today in Sydney” Inserts at :10 And :40 past each hour with emphasis on weather traffic and news

    And get Karl back.

  4. Here’s an out of the box idea for 9 execs.
    Two editions of Today, one out of Melbourne for southern states and one out of Sydney for NSW/Qld.
    Additionally add unique reporting from Qld, SA and Perth markets (already happens in WA.)
    Not likely in an austere era for TV. However the idea is people want local news in the morning. Why most radio stations still retain local morning crews(?).
    Just a thought.

  5. Once Kochie and the others leave Sunrise, 100% the same will happen to them. Their show would fall just like Today. How long until Kochie’s contract ends?

  6. Have always watched Today compared to Sunrise & really enjoyed Georgie as a newsreader where she was extremely professional. As soon as she became host she seemed to take on a superior attitude (esp towards Karl not toward Deb) & she became unbearably earnest. She seems to suck the life out of the show which seems to be turning off those drop in viewers. Hence Tom & Deb & the rest have to try even harder to inject life into the show. It still has superior news coverage to Sunrise but the lack of chemistry with Georgie front & centre is lacking.

  7. Really disappointing that not more people took the time to watch Struggle Street.
    This series has moved away from the “poverty porn” aspect it has sometimes been accused of in the past and is well worth watching.
    Very confronting and sad to see the stark reality and harsh aspects of everyday life for many Australians and farmers living in country towns and trying to survive off the land.Really is a constant struggle and uphill battle for many.

  8. I prefer Today to Sunrise, especially their news reporting but definitely no chemistry between Deb, Georgie and the newsreader so I turn over. They seem to try too hard to make conversation which falls flat. Gee Sam Armytage must be on a great contract, she is hardly ever there the last few months.

  9. I thought Playing For Keeps was the best show of the year last year. This year I am struggling to maintain attention for a whole episode. I don’t think the story is anywhere near strong enough this season.

  10. Sharpy I always thought the same as you.Who has time early mornings when going to work or preparing kids for school. (Retirees excepted) Understand Davids point in regards to drop in Drop out viewers .Would be interested in comparing morning Radio numbers to TV rating in the same morning slot .

    1. In our household ABC News is on TV to catch news (no Cash Cow and endless commercials) from 6am to 9am as various people get up, get breakfast, off to work at varying times. Each of us catch no more than 15 minutes. Listening on car radio and other device is longer and gets more attention.

    2. Basically, it’s on in the background. As a kid in Primary school I always remember Kochie, Mel and Nat being on in the mornings. We eventually sat down to eat breakfast and pay attention for a bit. Then more background sunrise as we got ready for school and out the door. It was like that through highscool years too. Then as an adult in a sharehouse my housemates and i would have it on sunrise/today each morning as we got ready for work too. Background noise with some sitting down to eat or if a story grabs us. Now in ny early 30’s living on my own I prefer AM radio in the mornings but I still get how breakfast tv can be a relevant media and reach out to the masses.

      1. This timeline doesn’t work— David Koch joined Sunrise in 2002 & Natalie Barr in 2003. If you were still in Primary school in those years the oldest you could be is 28-29 not in your ‘early 30s’0

        1. Ah I swear I remember watching them/it in year 7 at least which was 2000 (was it still called sunrise pre 2002? Maybe thats why) but it would’ve been year 9 onwards. Year 9/turning 14 in 2002. I think in WA we go into school a year earlier to the east coast plus I was a December birthday.

          1. @ aesthetic, The original Sunrise was fronted by Melissa Doyle and Chris Reason. To the best of my knowledge, David Koch joined in 2002 and from there the show extended its on-air talent. Melissa Doyle left in August 2013 with Samantha Armytage as the successor.

  11. I tried it again the other day after months of Sunrise to see if they’d improved but no, still no chemistry or that sense of fun that Karl and Lisa had. I really think they need a completely new team for 2020.

    1. Agreed love the chemstry btw Karl and Lisa, any chance network 10 poaching Karl, and bring back Good morning Australia with Karl and Lisa, with Carrie Brickmore as newsreader? Based in Melbourne

    1. Why move it to Melbourne, breakfast TV on all channels in this dumbed down country is like trying to wade through Blancmange soft gooey & on seven very Right wing why anyone watches I have no idea

      1. No channel in Australia is genuinely right-wing as no channel is genuinely nationalist and anti-globalist. Don’t confuse socially left, globalist orientated, capitalist as being the “right”.
        All media is Australia is dumbed down and provides for miseducation of its consumers including the ABC. Population programming by those that have been programmed.

    1. I once had it explained to me at uni like this.It’s a bit simplistic, but get the point across Assume the average audience is 250,000 people for a breakfast show. Also assume it’s a different 250,000 people every half hour (viewers don’t stick around in the morning!). So, across the seven half-hours of the show, that’s 1.75 million people. hence, juggernauts and commanding attention : )

      1. This is also why the 100k difference between Today and Sunrise doesn’t seem like much but, to extend the example, could be a difference of 700,000 people over the whole show.

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