HD Ratings: 8 Out of 10 Cats Gets a Bounce

TVNZ 2’s new Friday night panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown improved in its second showing, with its 25-54 and 18-49 viewership more than doubling.

This was partly due to the network rescheduling the series to start half-an-hour ahead of its chief rival, Three’s 7 Days.

An earlier start for lead-in Best Foods Comedy Gala also virtually doubled its ratings in these core commercial demographics.

They improved from 2.3% of 25-54 year-olds to 4.7%, and from 2.1% of 18-49 year-olds (TVNZ 2’s target audience), to 3.5%.

This helped lead-out Cats to average 4.2% of 25-54s and 3.2% of 18-49s.

But Three’s The Graham Norton Show and 7 Days were still ahead in all the core demos while TVNZ 1’s Britain’s Got Talent remained competitive.

Sky’s NZ Super Rugby coverage impacted on the free-to-air ratings, especially in the 18-49 and 18-39 demos, where it averaged 4.4% and 3.4% respectively.

TVNZ 1 won the night with the biggest 25-54, 18-39 and household shoppers with kids shares while TVNZ 2 narrowly took the 18-49 vote.

On Thursdays, TVNZ 1’s Gordon, Gino & Fred’s Road Trip has quickly become a crowdpleaser, winning the 8.30 hour in all the core commercial demos, easily beating TVNZ 2’s First Dates and Three’s movie.

TVNZ 2’s Police Ten 7 and Booze Patrol Australia dominated the 7.30 hour but TVNZ 1’s George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces was competitive and Three’s Grand Designs UK steady in third place.

The second half of Three’s movie, Safe Place, largely out-rated TVNZ 1’s Coronation Street and TVNZ 2’s Take Me Out.

TVNZ 1 won the biggest 25-54 and 18-49 shares for the night and TVNZ 2 topped 18-39 and HHS/k.