Nine follows Ten simulcast strategy with The Block: Glasshouse citing ‘heavy traffic’
The Nine Network is defending its decision to broadcast The Block: Glasshouse across its main channel and multi-channels Go and Gem, a move which comes only weeks after rival Ten chose to use the “roadblock” strategy in attempt to help build audience for game show Family Feud.
This is not the first time Nine has used the strategy, with the network deploying it briefly in 2009 for The Apprentice, however, it has drawn criticism as it sees the network instruct Oztam to only provide one code for the three channels meaning that there is no channel by channel breakdown for viewers.
The Block was the highest rating program last night with an audience of 1.374m with the network justifying the decision to boost the audience by saying that during the Commonwealth Games forced it to take unusual measure.
“Nine was the first to do this type of simulcast, we played the launch of The Apprentice on Nine and simulcast on GO way back in 2009“, said a Nine spokeswoman.
“In the heavy traffic with Commonwealth Games we want as many people as possible to sample The Block as we are really confident it’s a great series“, she said.
Simulcasting on Ten has drawn criticism from both the media and media buyers with many noting that the purpose of the multi-channels was to provide viewers a choice of content.
Nine says the simulcast move was a one off for the launch of the show.
Nic Christensen
HA! This will be the norm from now on and all networks will do it with the idea being to reduce viewer choice in the hope for more viewers
User ID not verified.
Haven’t we all had more than our fair share of the block? Im so sick of it. I have even “unliked” their page on my facebook, yet yesterday, big brother was still promoting this boring, over done, regurgitated show. There is almost no escape!
User ID not verified.
Back in the good old days of just 3 FTA channels, SBS and the ABC, “clever” media buyers used to buy “roadblocks” of ad breaks in the Sunday night movies to maximize reach of the available commercial TV audience. Now that growth in the number of channels has fragmented that audience it seems that this is now the broadcasters’ solution – roadblock with the same TV show…..ha!
User ID not verified.
Welcome to the new Eighties….
clowns.
User ID not verified.