HD Ratings: Apprentice Has Work to Do

TVNZ 1’s premiere of The Apprentice Aotearoa improved on the previous series in the network’s 8.30 Monday time slot.

But it couldn’t top Three’s 9-1-1 and benefitted from soft competition on TVNZ 2, the low-rating Kiwi drama Vegas.

The debut averaged 2.8% of TVNZ 1’s core 25-54 demographic and 1.9% of 18-49 year-olds.

The season finale of the most recent series to occupy the slot, Top Gear, averaged just 1.9% / 1.3% of these key commercial demos.

Viewership was steady over the hour, opening and closing in both demos with 2.9% / 1.9%.

Moreover, it largely maintained the ratings of lead-in The Casketeers (2.9% / 2.3%), although the latter was weakened by episode two of Three’s top-rating The Masked Singer NZ.

The variety show averaged 5.4% / 4.1% of the major demos and in both cases built viewership over the hour, closing with a higher number than it opened.

Its popularity helped lead-out 9-1-1 to win the 8.30 hour with 3.0% / 2.4%, compared with 2.2% / 1.6% for Vegas.

But stablemate 9-1-1: Lone Star (1.1% / 1.0%) lost to TVNZ 1’s 20/20 (2.5% / 1.7%) – although it had a clear lead over TVNZ 2’s Creamerie (1.0% / 0.8%) and Frickin Dangerous Bro on the Road (0.6% / 0.5%).

Earlier, TVNZ 2’s Popstars averaged 2.1% / 1.7% against Singer, which was comparable to the previous week.

Despite dominating from 7.30-9.30, Three’s 25-54 and 18-49 shares for the night were slightly lower than TVNZ 1’s but well ahead of TVNZ 2’s.