First ratings numbers for the 2012 Olympics prove to be a huge hit for the Nine Network.
On the first day of competition, Nine pulls out a huge 48% share on its primary channel and a staggering 51.7% across the network.
Trying to make sense of the ratings numbers will prove a challenge for many. Nine’s broadcast is divided into various sub-sections, most at several hours duration. This means the numbers will be naturally lower than a traditional half hour of television, so the nightly share (6pm-midnight) is a much better indicator of how Nine has performed.
Yesterday across Nine / Gem combined it averaged:
D1 Early Evening: 1.96m (6:30 – 8:30)
D2 Evening: 1.79m (8:30 – 10:30)
Opening Ceremony 1.72m
Opening Ceremony replay: 1.31m
D1 Late: 1.15m (10:30- 12:00)
D1 Overnight: 468,000
Only Nine’s 6pm – midnight content factors into its 51.7% share, thus excluding the Opening Ceremony. On that front it’s an excellent start for Nine.
By comparison the Beijing Opening Ceremony averaged a whopping 3.3m viewers, but played at a more frendlier 10pm Friday night broadcast. In comparison Athens averaged 3.03m viewers (on a Saturday morning) while Sydney erupted to 6.5m viewers average.
Ironically the top show of the day proved to be The Fresh Prince of Bel Air at 2.02m viewers. Why? Scheduled at 9:30am it netted the tail end of the Opening Ceremony which ran overtime!
@The Moops – Nine will prob average betw 35 and 45% during the Olympics. So half to two-thirds of people want to watch something else. Plenty of reason for the other networks not to shut up shop for a couple of weeks.
I’m not surprised, the Olympics always rates gangbusters. It will completely dominate for the next fortnight, no problem, even in this multi-channel environment. The other networks may as well run dead for the next 16 days.
I’ll admit I was glad about the Olympics being on as there was something to watch Saturday night. At least after SBS News and Mad As Hell. The later ending this week. Also being a night owl I don’t mind that there’s stuff on after midnight. Love it.
You’d think Nine would have programmed something after the Olympics Opening Ceremony that could have taken advantage of such a huge audience rather than a repeat episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Maybe something to show off an upcoming Nine event. That’s an epic fail.
Do you have Foxtel Olympic ratings?
A bit off topic. OMG! Melrose Place (new series) starts on ch 11 tonight @10:30pm.
Foxtel coverage is good as well, as you can pick the sport ypu want to watch and flick between them quickly
@Chris They did publicise the HD coverage – I saw a few ads with it mentioned, however, perhaps they should actually mention it in the broadcast so that people can switch over.
Slightly disappointing numbers that it was under 2m but then it was in the morning and people these days record things on their PVR and watch later rather than watching the repeat broadcast in the afternoon.
I too was slightly disappointed with the quality of GEM on the Opening Ceremony but it was still better than SD Nine. I’m in sydney and that was through Foxtel so really no excuses. I have noticed now that the Olympic coverage in HD does look better (maybe they fixed something affecting quality at Nine).
@Craig & Chris Peters: Olympic coverage on GemHD was advertised. I know that this promo was used at least 5 days before the Opening Ceremony:
youtube.com/watch?v=wMP2S2eCIkk&feature=plcp
I think the problem with GEM is that there is so little that is regularly shown in HD that people don’t bother even thinking about it. If we had dedicated HD channels showing what was on the main channels I think people would tune in more often.
How well publicised was the HD coverage on Gem ? i heard absolutely nothing about it and only found yesterday afternoon that it was available in HD.
There was no promos. nothing. very disappointing
@Craig – as I understand it, the IOC only permits FTA broadcasters a single feed so Nine cannot show different sports on GEM/Nine. This is presumably to give Pay TV networks a point of difference and allow the IOC to charge them more.
I was more heading towards if the events viewings were on par. The opening ceremony was at 5 in the morning it was always going to be low especially now with the internet and PVRs.
Now: when was the last time the Fresh Prince topped the ratings in Australia? Has to be 15 years at least…
For Nine: a impressive start, casting the doubts people probably had about the Olympics rating well in a multichannel enviroment aside.
@James – Clearly (pun intended) the quality of GEM depends on what transmitter is serving you. The quality from WIN/GEM in our area was/is terrible. I switched from WIN/GEM to WIN/SD to get better quality. Weird artifacts etc. on GEM. No, not all of my 4 TVs, or my neighbours’ TVs.
@Ranco
I read this about previous Olympics mumbrella.com.au/london-olympics-opening-ceremony-lowest-since-oztam-began-106668
Has Nine been promoting the GEM has the same coverage in HD? I was kinda hoping they could show alternate coverage on GEM to give FTA viewers a choice… I’ll stick with Foxtel’s 8 channels.
As for the number I guess most are watch because a) it’s the Olympics and b) there isn’t much else on, will Nine hold those numbers for the next 2 weeks?
Yes those theories on Gem simulcast make sense, thanks guys.
I only watched Gem, so i find it surprising nobody watched it. It was much better quality.
Also are these numbers on par with previous Olympics?
David, I think you’ll find that Gem’s share is combined with Nine’s share except in Adelaide (0.5%) and Perth (0.9%) between 6pm-6.30pm. Gem in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane got 0.0% because everything was simulcast.
I think the GEM figure (0.2) only reflects time when they are not in simulcast with Nine (which last night was only 6-6.30pm). Otherwise the GEM audience is aggregated with Nine’s.
I have to disagree, watching the Olympics on Gem HD is so much better than on Nine’s primary channel. It is so much sharper. I, personally, am definantly not unhappy with the quality.
Only, if Nine had improved their schedule during the week, they would have had this week in the bag.
The Gem results, quite surprising but proves what I have always thought. No one turns off sport because its not in HD, people grumble but in general don’t care backing up the practise that all channels do of not having sport on the HD channel.
Do you know the GEM numbers?