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Who is really the second TV network?

There were some raised eyebrows this week over big statements -what do the numbers say?

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This week 10 boss Beverley McGarvey told advertisers, “10 is no longer the third TV network” -which  raised some eyebrows at Seven.

“The new normal in Australia is very different,” she said.

“10 is no longer the third TV network. We are ViacomCBS, a vital and confident multi-platform network within a content powerhouse attracting the most valuable audiences, challenging our competitors in ways they never imagined.”

10 sources told TV Tonight Channel 10 was no longer a clear third across the collective demos, currently #2 in 16 to 39s and 18 to 49s.

However Seven is still #2 in Total People and 25-54.

Primary channel 6pm – midnight, 2020 survey

It should be noted Beverley McGarvey’s claim was also in reference to “network” rather than primary channel.

On a network basis Seven is still ahead.

Network 6pm – midnight, 2020 survey

There are other factors to be remembered.

Seven results are without AFL -but it is also has one multichannel advantage over 10.

It’s clear 10 is breathing down Seven’s neck after some particularly good results from McGarvey and her team -which is partly why it made sense to spruik the state of play to advertisers right now.

If 10 can keep it up the rest of the year will be a tight race in Nine’s shadow.

24 Responses

  1. Any network (Seven at the moment, closely followed by Nine) should be congratulated for looking at their content across all their channels and offering a balanced choice. Yes, I know that it is in their interests to appeal to all demographics, but it feels like 10 doesn’t even try with its other channels.

    Seven have been smart in treating their non-main channels with respect, and using them (when sport is available) as complementary platforms to give the viewers continuity and greater choice. Until 10 wake up to this, they will always be the poor cousin.

  2. “10 is no longer the third TV network.”
    By itself, that does sound incorrect, but with
    “We are ViacomCBS, a vital and confident multi-platform network within a content powerhouse attracting the most valuable audiences, challenging our competitors in ways they never imagined,” it sounds correct.

    I took that to mean, when you advertise with 10 you aren’t limited to just network tv. There is 10 Daily, MTV, Nickelodeon, 10 Play etc.

    Nine is similar with all their assets/places to advertise (Newspaper, radio, 9now etc). Do Nine allow you to book all that advertising in one place though? I’m not sure.

    I agree “just” would have made it clearer though.

  3. I took her comment to mean that 10 was no longer the third TV network as in it was no longer 10. That the three networks(commercial) were now Seven, Nine and Viacom CBS. I never thought she was saying that 10 was Inferior to Seven and Nine.

    1. Actually 10’s logo watermark on the main channel is perfectly sized and screen positioned. Bold and Peach watermarks are a different story – way too big.
      The static advertising watermarks need to stop – ruins the enjoyment of what I’m watching, and often covers opening credits text.

  6. I actually thought Beverley McGarvey chose her words well with “10 is no longer the third TV network. We are ViacomCBS (etc),” meaning that 10 are no longer seen as just the third Network in Australia but as ViacomCBS, she never actually said 2nd. It’s a bit like how SBS used to be referred to as Sex Before Soccer, 10 were always referred to as being just the third Network and not a viable competitor to Nine and Seven now as Beverley says they are challenging the competitors and have even had people on TVT cheering them on.

      1. Fair call, guess she didn’t choose her words well enough then as just and only would have made it better for all. As I say it’s the way I heard it with the challenging our competitors in ways they never imagined, as now they’re looking at 10 getting closer in the rear vision mirror and thinking about them not dismissing them. 10 has come a long way to come back to that point where it was seen as a competitor in the past, as in My Kitchen Rules was done to compete with Masterchef, which also is back to the point of 9 leading again like those days.

    1. Yeah the ABC have done well and I guess 10 are really just talking commercial channels as that’s who Beverley is really spruiking to … advertisers. However yeah with the extra covid-19 gains by the ABC and Bluey being such a morning hit as an entertainment alternative in these times the ABC may just come in 3rd compared to missing out by 0.6% to 10 in last years end results. So yeah having that extra channel to 10 and it being a speciality one with NEWS is really helping the ABC this year, first with the Bushfires and now the Virus (and 10 with The Project doing better for similar reasons).

      Could be a tight race for 3rd really between 10 and ABC really at years end, as if AFL comes back 7 may likely take 2nd easily if people are chomping at the bit for it to return and ratings show that by booming. Even on secondary channels if it’s not Bluey doing good numbers and being number 1…

    2. In the 25-54, which commercial networks target 10 is beating 2 177k to 82k. As you can see the ABC’s audience is largely people over 55 watching 2 and kids watching ad free content on 2 & 3.

      What McGavery is talking about is what she said, “attracting the most valuable audiences”. In terms of advertising revenue, with its younger audience, 10 has caught 7 and some months has even beaten them in revenue. For a decade 7 was the clear leader with 10 a long way down in 3rd. Then 9 took the lead with MAFS, The Voice and Ninja. Now it is much closer.

      1. Which is something the ABC will have to work on at some time as they have the young eyeballs who will think of the ABC as TV as that’s what they’ve grown up with, however they need shows so as they transition to the ABC as they get older.

        1. Oh and of course none of the ABC figures for the Kids channels are in the a tables above as it’s all from 6pm to Midnight, so the good figures say for Bluey at 8am aren’t in there only the 6pm onwards for ABC Me and Comedy/Kids.

          1. ABC KIDS is also ABC Comedy so it is included in the network share. For the record, ABC ME has content after 6pm too so also included. None of the networks have pre-6pm share included.

          2. @David: Yeah should have been clearer in what I meant as yep Kids is there until 7:30pm and ME to it’s shut-down time, so yep was more about how in those figures the say Bluey episodes that were picking up 400,000 plus wouldn’t be included. Plus the ones at 8am that go toe to toe with NCIS on Bold on who is the number 1 Multi-channel are also not included where of course NCIS is (though like last night Death In Paradise for GEM was # 1 to NCIS then Bluey AM).

  8. I am not sure about who is second, but the whole commercial FTA model is second-rate.

    Not just the program content but the fact that without a PVR it is almost unwatchable with the sheer frequency and quantity of ads.

    Who in their right mind wants to sit down and watch a 2 hour movie for over 3 hours.
    It is particularly noticeable if an old TV series is watched on a commercially released DVD. The black screen breaks where the ads were inserted are 15 to 20 mins apart.

    1. Insightful tables. If you do some quick calculations, it’s interesting to see how poor Seven’s doing vs previous years in main channel (especially demographics)… But when you factor in 7Two, 7mate and 7flix how much that changes (especially demographics).

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