OzTAM issues rare correction

Ratings provider OzTAM has issued a rare correction for data miscalculated by Nielsen TAM for the period 8th June–9th September.

A misallocation of data in overlap areas between metro and regional markets meant that viewing to Network 7 (all markets where spill occurs) and to Network Nine Sydney/WIN 9 (Wollongong) was allocated to spill – and therefore not included in ratings estimates – whereas that viewing should have been allocated to Network 7 or, in the case of 9 programming, WIN.

Although 97% of all free-to-air programming remains unchanged, the highest shift was to a single episode (30/6/2022) of Home and Away in Sydney, gaining +27,000, from 90,000 to 117,000. Seven News Sydney (Sunday to Saturday) also increased by just over 16,000 during the period.

The first batch of Nielsen’s reprocessed, corrected data (covering 8th June–2nd July) has been released with subsequent corrected data coming on 7th November (3rd–30th July) and 21st November (31st July–9th September).

Top line results for the period follow.

Impact on 7 Network and 5 City Metro Total TV | Top Line Results, Data Reprocess
Metropolitan Total TV viewing, 8th June–2nd July (‘Period 1’), Consolidated 7 for Total Individuals incl. Guests.
Note: the misallocation of spill viewing for Network Nine Sydney/WIN 9 (Wollongong) did not occur in Period 1.

Overall
● Total TV Audience: static at 2.57m viewers in prime time
● Spill Audience of 9,000 across the day (2am-2am), or 21,000 (6pm-midnight), has been re-allocated to metro channels, representing 0.8% of all viewing in Period 1.

Average Audience ‘000s | Change in Period 1
● 7 Network 5 City Metro (5CM) rose
○ +9,000 (3.6%) all day (2am-2am)
○ +21,000 (3.7%) 6pm-midnight
● 7 Network Sydney increased
○ +7,000 (13.7%) all day
○ +15,000 (13.4%) 6pm-midnight
● 7 Network Primary Channel audience in Sydney increased
○ +4,000 (10.3%) all day
○ +9,000 (11.4%) 6pm-midnight

Average Audience ‘000s | Survey Year to Date (YTD) Through Period 1*
● Seven Network rose
○ +4,000 (0.6%) 5CM 6pm-midnight:
○ +3,000 in Sydney; +1,000 in Brisbane

Total TV Share | Change in Period 1
● 7 Network 5CM rose
○ +0.7 Total TV (TTL TV) Share Points all day
○ +0.8 TTL TV Share Points 6pm-midnight
● 7 Network Sydney increased
○ + 2.1 Share Points all day
○ + 2.2 Share Points 6pm-midnight
● 7 Sydney Primary Channel share increased
○ +1.2 Share Points all day
○ +1.2 Share Points 6pm-midnight
● 7 Network Brisbane share rose +0.5 points 6pm-midnight
● 7 Network Melbourne share rose +0.3 points 6pm-midnight
● 7 Network Perth share rose +0.1 points 6pm-midnight
● No change for 7 Network Adelaide
● No change for 9, 10, ABC, SBS and STV channels/networks in all markets

Total TV Share | Survey Year to Date (YTD) Through Period 1*
● 7 Network 5CM increased 0.1 Share Point
○ +0.4 in Sydney
○ + 0.1 in Brisbane

Programming | Change in Period 1
● 97% of all free-to-air (FTA) programming remains unchanged
● 0.09% (87 programs out of a total of 18,352) increased by >10,000:
○ the highest was to a single episode (30/6/2022) of Home and Away in Sydney, gaining +27,000, so moving from 90,000 to 117,000
● 7 News Sydney (Sunday to Saturday) increased by just over 16,000 during the period
○ No change to other markets
*06/02/2022 – 02/07/2022