0/5

75% of audience tipped to watch first-run episodes

New data suggests first run broadcasts account for around 75%-85% of total audience, with more via other platforms.

2015-06-22_2154

Last week Nine released data on three of its key shows this year that suggest first-run broadcasts account for around 75%-85% of total audience, with further viewing in replay, Timeshifted and catch-up screenings.

The numbers for its internal PARC (platform agnostic ratings for content) differ from OzTAM data which collates Overnight and Timeshifted viewing, but not online views as yet.

According to PARC, Married at First Sight averaged 2.131 million viewers per episode – 523,000 above OzTAM results.

This comprises 1.603 million viewers (metro + regional Overnight viewers), another 376,000 in ‘encore’ replays, 92,000 viewers in Timeshifted, and 61,000 viewers in Catch-Up.

Michael Healy, Director of Television for the Nine Network said: “These figures show beyond doubt that free-to-air television is alive and well. We have known for some time the audience is choosing to view content in a multitude of ways. Overnight viewing figures only tell part of the story. Our internal report collating total audience tells a story of a robust, healthy television industry.

“In addition to the live broadcast on Nine, Married at First Sight secured more than half a million additional viewers at other times and on other platforms. We will continue to make our content available to viewers in formats and on devices that are compatible with ever-evolving technologies.”

PARC data for Love Child indicates 1.606 million viewers per episode using the same platforms, with 24% coming from Timeshifted, ‘encore’ and long-form video viewing.

Reno Rumble averaged 1.299 million viewers per episode, aided by another 16% in Timeshifted, ‘encore’ and long-form video viewing.

Nine claims it can discern between those who only watched the replays and not first-run broadcasts.

Steve Weaver, Nine Network Research Director, said: “More and more, our clients are asking for data that completes the picture of how audiences are consuming our product, beyond the live broadcast on Nine. The current system of reporting overnight data at 9am each day, while still important, is increasingly only a part of the total audience picture.

“As OzTam works towards a method that will produce data accurately reflecting total viewing, Nine’s internal report helps us demonstrate the growing cross-platform consumption of programming, thus helping to deliver on the needs of our clients. We look forward to swapping over to the new OzTam metric once that system comes online.”

Other networks are regularly including metro + regional and Timeshifted viewing in ratings reports, with some including online views.

10 Responses

  1. I’m not surprised by that result really.Generally most of the time as it suggested that viewers will watch it when it screens at it’s slotted time.Hence where the advertisers are the most interested in.Sure there are few adds on to it,but advertisers would only care about it’s slotted time.I really think there is to much made of these catch up services.Great for the public but advertisers wouldn’t care less

  2. Nine has supplied accurate catch-up numbers not the inflated attempted connections which are 4-5 times higher. So catch-up is 2/3 the size of timeshifted.

    The main difference between Nine’s and Oztam’s total figures is nearly all the regional viewers. Catch-ups are less than 4% of the total audience.

    So 25% of the audience for primetime dramas is not watching Live or Same Day Delayed. Much higher than the Oztam average 10% because daytime and early evening shows aren’t timeshifted much.

    For an industry to healthy and vibrant it needs revenue. And that is still declining, and Nine’s share price along with it.

      1. OzTam ratings are to set ad rates for what advertisers pay to reach per 1000 viewers on broadcast.

        The rate advertisers pay to reach 1000 online viewers is much lower.

        It doesn’t make sense to combine those two numbers. Oztam ratings exist solely to set ad rates for broadcast.

  3. “More and more, our clients are asking for data that completes the picture of how audiences are consuming our product”. But the other side of this coin is that 15%-25% are watching on PVRs etc. which allows ad. skipping or fast-forwarding.

  4. 376,000 viewers watched a repeat of Married At First Sight, so there’s still a decent market left for PVR makers. If we are to believe “beyond doubt that free-to-air television is alive and well” why are Nine so worried about SBS changing it’s ad schedule? Almost 5 hrs of Sat prime time on the main channel devoted to repeats of “The Voice”, wonder how that went? Love the term “platform agnostic”, that’s when your train turns up on the wrong platform.

  5. If only we had the data for 7 & 10 to compare!

    What’s the difference between time shifted and catchup? Aren’t they the same thing?

Leave a Reply