★★★★★ 0/5

NYE fireworks breaks ABC record

NYE breaks a record for ABC (but Aunty still under-reports its own numbers).

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A no-crowds rule ensured ABC’s New Year’s Eve fireworks broke a record for the broadcaster.

1.63m viewers watched the midnight fireworks, peaking at 12:04am -the biggest audience since ABC began broadcasting the event in 2013.

Their previous high was in 2017 at 1.49m.

Audiences were biggest in Sydney at 870,000, followed by Melbourne (458,000) and Brisbane (155,000).

Including regional viewers the numbers climbed to 2.12m.

Michael Carrington, ABC Director Entertainment & Specialist, said: “We are proud that so many Australians have once again seen in the new year on the ABC across television, ABC iview and social media. New Year’s Eve was particularly poignant this year as many Australians stayed at home to mark the end of a unique and challenging year. Thank you to the more than 180 ABC staff and crew who worked tirelessly to beam the images of Sydney’s iconic fireworks around Australia and across the world. After the year we have had, it is also heartening to see so many people donate to our joint appeal with Lifeline and Kids Helpline. Their generosity will help fund more frontline mental health services and crisis support for people in need.”

However ABC again under-reported its own audience share, claiming a 5 city metro prime-time share of 23.2%.

It was actually 28.5% in Free to Air numbers, but drops to 23.2% if you add Pay TV audiences.

ABC is still the only network that oddly seems to adopt this methodology. It’s not clear why…

10 Responses

  1. Yes, the fireworks did their thing – and, as usual, did it well. But I personally found this year’s concert part of the coverage to be funereal and morbid – right down to the hideous neon tombstones that were “the audience” in Sydney. It was a real visual (and, overall, atmospheric) downer. Melbourne crosses weren’t much better; the hosts looked like they were in front of a green screen and on other sides of the world, for the most part. Sadly, too, the coverage of the concert part itself was stilted and really amateurish, complete with cringey links and dialogue, and the ever-unsmiling Charlie P (and yes, I know how much work goes in behind-the-scenes to stage such a multi-city event), But even the performances were way below par of previous years (and I was there, in person, last year, which was amazing!). Note to ABC talent choosers: it’d be nice if you always chose performers…

  3. I just watched the fireworks…not as long…which I feel is a good thing…and no fast moving drones….which make me feel sea sick….
    I would rate them well….I enjoyed the display…on iview on my 32″ monitor 👌💖

  4. The coverage looked very ABC with all the usual ABC personalities, but the fireworks are the real stars and costing over 6 million to stage it really needed some more adventurous camera work this year with no crowds attending, the camera locations and variable low light photography look much the same year by year, it needs an upgrade which probably the ABC cant afford.

    1. They would have cost a lot less this time, with no 9pm display and also only a single site, compared with 4 or 5 sites launching in sync usually. Combined with the duration cut to just seven minutes this would have cost a fraction of the usual price.

      Even so, it crapped all over Auckland’s feeble effort. I really wish they would try harder… a few sparklers off the Sky Tower really doesn’t cut it. We have better firework displays here in Phnom Penh several times a year.

  5. David writes “ABC is still the only network that oddly seems to adopt this methodology. It’s not clear why…” … maybe because the ABC news department sees Rupert’s Sky News as their main opposition for the hearts and minds of politicians …

  7. Whilst driving home from the city, i tuned into NYE concert on ABC radio. Good music on the way home. Next, I headed upstairs and streamed the ABC NYE Concert on iView. Paul Kelly was a legend and a few other singers sang with him. Vera Blue was fantastic and she even sang with Odette and Emma Donovan with You’ve Got the Love.

  8. I did not like the channel two news years eve shows. I much preferred last years 80’s theme. Instead I watched the Prince tribute on channel nine and it was fantastic.

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