Seven wins the marathon, Nine takes the final sprint and Ten has best run in five years
The Seven Network has surged across the line to win the 2017 ratings year, despite a final sprint from Nine which delivered it the honours in the last week of official ratings.
Anchored by the Olympic Games in Brazil, Seven was the big winner, but in the ratings lucky dip where every player gets a prize, all three networks were claiming they were winners across a variety of demographics and formats.
Seven finished the year with a total seven day consolidated commercial audience share of 27.8%, ahead of Nine which grabbed a 25.2% share and Ten which recorded a 18.5% share.
The ratings saw Nine’s share down from 26.7% in 2016, Seven rise 0.1% and Ten lift from 17.8%.
In total network shares, Seven dominated with 39% compared to Nine’s 35.7% and Ten’s 25.3%.
Angus Ross said Seven’s year was dominant
Seven’s director of programming, Angus Ross, said the network had delivered on its promise.
“Twelve months ago we promised to be a more dominant number one in 2016 – and we are more dominant than ever, in this our tenth year of leadership,” Ross said.
“Seven is not only number one in all people. We are number one in all the key demographics. And, we are the only commercial network to grow share in all people and every demographic, widening our leadership over Nine and Ten.”
The network led the way with the two most watched shows of the year, the AFL Grand Final presentation between Sydney and the Western Bulldogs drew 3.201m while the match itself drew 3.081m.
The first installment of Seven’s two-part mini-series Molly was the highest rating non-sport program in 2016 with 2.216m.
The network said more than 18m people tuned into all or part of the Olympic games on Seven, 7Two and 7Mate.
Nine’s chief sales officer Michael Stephenson admitted the network was slow out of the blocks at the start of the year, but managed to pick up the pace in May and that the network was only interested in key demographics.
Stephenson admitted Nine had a slow start but gained momentum
Nine’s claimed wins in the post Olympics period with commercial shares in prime time from August 22nd of 37.8% in people 25-54 compared to Seven’s 34.6%.
“It’s been well documented that we got off to a slow start,” Stephenson said.
“We will get off to a better start next year.
“I have said it time and time and time again, we are only focused on 16-39, 25-54 and grocery buyers with kids. Advertisers don’t want total people.”
Nines director of television, Michael Healy, said that even though Nine had a strong finish to the year on the back of The Block and other shows, the idea of a 40 week TV year was increasingly irrelevant.
“With viewers demanding content when and where they want it, the notion of a 40-week television year is increasingly becoming less relevant,” Healy said.
“From the first day of this year until today, between 6am and midnight, I’m proud to say that the Nine Network is leading all key demographics. Furthermore, since the Olympics finished, Nine has completely dominated, leading all demographics in prime time as well.”
Nine’s most watched show of the year was the first State of Origin, which captured 2.735m viewers, making it the third most watched show across the metro markets in 2016.
The Block winner announcement was Nine’s best performing general entertainment show, with 2.205m viewers.
Ten’s prize was finishing the year with its best performance since in 2011 in 25-54, riding the summer success of the Big Bash League and its investment in reality shows The Bachelor Australia, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Australian Survivor.
It also also marked the third year in a row that the network, including One and 11, increased its commercial share.
Anderson pleased with best result for Ten since 2011
CEO Paul Anderson said it created a strong foundation for 2017, when the network will continue to drive its 7.30pm content strategy.
“2016 has delivered another year of momentum, consistency and growth across all platforms for Ten. Our strategy of investing in differentiated and innovative content, plus the strong performance of our domestic 7.30pm franchises, is delivering,” Anderson said.
“We have finished 2016 with our biggest main channel prime time commercial share in 25 to 54s and total people since 2011, and our biggest network total people commercial share since 2011.”
One of Ten’s prizes for the year included finishing number one in prime time on Thursdays in 25-54s and under 55s.
Ten’s chief content office Beverley McGarvey said drama had also played a key role in the year.
“In 2016 we continued to invest in fresh and innovative prime time content, launching the critically acclaimed Australian Survivor, the fresh new drama The Wrong Girl and a new season of the much-loved Offspring,” McGarvey said.
Ten’s best performing show of the year was the Masterchef final winner announcement, with 1.999m.
On the final night of the official ratings year the battle between Australia and South Africa on the cricket pitch continued to perform for Nine with 835,000 tuning into the early evening second session and 786,000 watching the prime time third session.
Seven’s News at 6pm was the most watched show of the evening with 921,000 across the five metro markets.
The ABC’s tradition of strong Saturdays saw it deliver the seventh, eighth and ninth most watched shows of the day with repeats of Doc Martin at 7.30pm (600,000), Grantchester at 8.20pm (466,000) and Inspector George Gently at 9.10pm (393,000).
Seven rounded out the top 10 with the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at 7pm which drew 386,000.
Nine won the night with a share of 22.5% and the week with 19.4%, while Seven’s evening share was 15%, rounding out a weekly share just behind Nine of 18.9%.
The ABC reported a Saturday share of 14.% and a weekly share of 12.1%, while Ten’s Saturday was 6.7% and the week was 11.9%.
SBS finished with 4.6% and 4.3% respectively.
Channel 9 are discusting, there programs never run on time .Never watch live ,always record any programs i might want to watch, then add 20 minutes so as not to miss the end, then fast forward the endless number of adds the bombard you with.
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