Nine have firmly stamped their dominance on the 2019 ratings year, securing the number one position for both primary channel and network* for total people, and the key demographics measured (16-39, 25-54, and grocery buyer + child).
Not since 2006 has Nine been able to claim the number one slot – a position Seven has maintained for the last 12 years.
2019 has been a monster year for the Hugh Marks-led team, with Married at First Sight dominating Seven’s My Kitchen Rules in Q1, beating Seven’s once-great reality cooking franchise every time the shows clashed. The State of Origin clashes rated strongly for Nine, with all three in the top 5 for the year. LEGO Masters was a breakout hit, and the consistency of The Voice Australia, The Block, Australian Ninja Warrior performing strongly meant Nine often had Sunday-Wednesday tied up, supported by strong viewership of their NRL coverage.
Game 1 of the State of Origin series (3,229,863) was the number one program for the year. MAFS (1,948,325) and LEGO Masters (1,893,626) were the only non-sport programs in the top 10.
In an interview with Rob McKnight (to be released as a part of this week’s TV Blackbox podcast), Nine’s Chief Sales Officer Michael Stephenson said:
“It has been another incredible year, of course one that we are very, very proud of to win the year against all of the key buying demographics. 25 to 54, 16 to 39, and grocery buyers with children has always been part of the plan.
It’s always been part of the strategy. And to deliver another win for the year against those demos is a great achievement.”
Nine also dominated the Broadcast Video on Demand (BVOD) charts with 9Now drawing a staggering 46.3% share (as at 23/11/19) using OzTAM’s Video Player Measurement (VPM) minutes-viewed metric.
Stephenson added:
“The transition of 9Now from a catch-up service towards a video on demand platform is without doubt a highlight, because it’s a massive part of the future of our business.”
2019 didn’t go all Nine’s way however.
Nine News-year losses in Brisbane and Melbourne** (though slight) mean Seven retain the mantle as the number 1 News service in the country.
Seven’s Sunrise didn’t even give The Today Show a look in, as the brekky program struggled all year with a new team – even being beaten by the ABC’s News Breakfast twice. This has lead to a major change of on-air talent for 2020 with new host Allison Langdon joined by a returning Karl Stefanovic as well as other changes still to be announced.
The launch of the nostalgia-laden reboot of Seachange landed well, though tapered sharply across the series as audiences left Pearl Bay for warmer climes.
The AFL Grand Final (2,964,502) was Seven’s only entry in the top 10 programs for the year, following the primary channel and network races into second position.
The 10 Network solidified it’s third-place position ahead of the ABC and SBS, though it is still a significant gap before it is competitive with Nine and Seven (on average, it lags 7-8 points behind Seven). 10’s coverage of The Melbourne Cup Race (1,919,099) saw it land the 8th most watched program nationally despite viewer numbers down on previous years. 10’s breakout hit for the year, The Masked Singer (1,338,348), landed an episode at 19th overall.
An episode of UK drama Vera (1,259,584) was the highest performer for the ABC and the highest rating drama program for the year, landing in 21st position.
Nine took out 8 of the top 10 program positions across the year, and 12 of the top 20. With its strong ratings performance the network can comfortably claim these wins for 2019:
No. 1 Overall Program: State of Origin Game 1
No. 1 Overall Regular Program: Married at First Sight
No. 1 New Program: LEGO Masters
No. 1 & No. 2 Reality Series: Married at First Sight & The Block
No. 1 & No. 2 & No. 3 Light Entertainment Series: LEGO Masters, Australian Ninja Warrior & The Voice
No. 1 Comedy Program: Hamish & Andy’s “Perfect” Holiday
No. 1 Sports Program: State of Origin
No. 1 Weekly Public Affairs Program: 60 Minutes
No. 1 Daily Public Affairs Program: A Current Affair
No. 1 Multichannel Program: The Ashes
*all figures quoted are: total people, 5CM+RegTAM, consolidated 28 day figures, first runs only (unless otherwise stated).
**OK, so here’s the thing: the Networks have always claimed the win based on the number of weeks won. In the last couple of years they’ve taken to averaging the entire year’s numbers for the show as an alternate metric – still independent of it being 5CM v National (5CM + regional). In 2019 Nine won the Melbourne news battle based on the average, but lost to Seven based on weeks won (the industry “standard” until you lose). It all changes again with VOZ coming to the market in 2020 so be prepared for an entirely different measurement to determine who won.
Co-Creator and Viewer’s Advocate for TVBlackbox.com.au, Steve Molk is sharply focused on the business of TV in Australia across all its formats – FTA broadcast, commercial, subscription, BVOD, catch up & SVOD.
Based in Brisbane he’s a passionate advocate for Australian-made programming, particularly drama and comedy. He loves podcasting, gaming & watching too much TV.
Twitter – @SteveMolk
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