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Seven boss: Fast-tracking strategy can be “jumping at shadows.”

Seven's Tim Worner talks down the impact of illegal piracy on TV, in the wake of TEN's low ratings for Homeland.

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Seven boss Tim Worner has talked down the impact of illegal piracy on broadcast television, in the wake of much discussion about TEN’s low ratings for Homeland.

This is despite Seven having previously been a part of AFACT’s failed bid to make internet service providers accountable for illegal activities of their subscribers.

It’s fair to say that Seven is less impacted by downloading than TEN and Foxtel, because its audience skews older.

Seven is holding off the second season of Revenge and the third season of Downton Abbey until 2013.

It also has Last Resort and Mrs Biggs amongst its upcoming international titles.

“I’m confident that those shows won’t be greatly affected by the fact they have been on somewhere else first,” Worner told Daily Telegraph.

“I know there are other people in the industry who feel differently (about the ratings effects of illegal downloading) and they are making their programming decisions based on that feeling, but I think it’s jumping at shadows.

“By saying that I am not saying we have our head in the sand and we don’t think that there are challenges we are facing, but I don’t think it’s going to kill television.”

Seven has strategically chosen to fast-track a selection of shows that are established such as Grey’s Anatomy and The Amazing Race but holding new titles to next year. Nine has adopted a similar approach. But TEN is seeking to lift its performance with fast-tracked shows.

But viewing habits are constantly changing, and some shows are susceptible to both downloading as well as timeshifting on PVRs.

What is rarely reported in media is the boost from Consolidated data. Last week The Good Wife pulled 490,000 viewers but increased by 123,000 viewers on Consolidated numbers to reach to 613,000 viewers, -another 25%. Yesterday TEN CEO James Warburton noted with frustration that the US industry focusses a lot more on Timeshifted data than Australia.

Meanwhile, Worner also told SKY News Business yesterday that he hoped TEN would improve, if only to help take eyeballs away from Nine. No doubt, Nine is feeling mutual about that one.

37 Responses

  2. I’m way too late to participate in one of my favourite debates but I think Tim Worner’s comment should go in the “it will come back to haunt him” basket like the Eddie Maguire comment. Was there ever a luckier, more complacent,head in the sand head of a Network?

    And Homeland? The story is preposterous and that’s why the audience will not show up for the next season. Brody untraceably texting from within a situation room in the Whitehouse? The Clare Danes character keeping a bi-polar condition secret from her empoyers for years? Mad Men it aint.

  3. How spoilt we have all become. How did we all survive without downloading, PVRs, DVDs, digital channels, pay TV,fast tracking,big flat screen TVs and the rest. I grew up in the country and remember only having ABC TV and 1 commercial channel in black and white with appalling reception. We have it so tough now. By the way, Homeland rocks.

  4. In regards to the PVR numbers, are they looking at a +3 or a +7 day range? I end up watching The Good Wife on fridays and Parks and Rec over the weekend? Which numbers matter more?
    I’m surprised with the Homeland overnight’s, but not surprised when you count playback. My family tends to get irritated with the amount of ads on Ten.

  5. I do wonder if there is any chance FTA will do something similar to Foxtel and fast track some shows in the afternoon just hours after the US, then play then in their normal prime-time slots? or would this see too many people setting there PVR and just skipping the ads all together?

  6. here comes the hammer steve!

    Homeland kinda lost me as well … insane main character … and plot twists (including the finale) all designed to drag the show into a new season … it would have been better to start S2 on a new story arc

    Haven’t watched any S2 yet but have recorded it

  7. I’m still watching Homeland, although I sometimes wonder why. I find Claire Danes’ over-acting really irritating. “Look at me. I’m rolling my eyes, so I must be craaaaaazy!”.

  8. Homeland ratings: 600k on the night, 200k for the Wed encore, say another 200k for consolidated, then however many watch on catch up TV.

    Not really that bad is it? A million plus overall?

    Overnights are just part of the story…

  9. I would say the best way to sum up the drop from season 1 is that the “niche” audience and the diehard fans tuned in. The mainstream who have left Ch10 in droves and are out of the habit of watching 10 have not. I predict the audience will grow with time and with word of mouth. Ch10 have to be patient with this and its other shows.

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