HD Ratings: Another Free-to-Air Sunday Defeat

It wasn’t just the Pumas that the All Blacks pummelled on Sunday — Sky Sport 1’s coverage of the match also crushed the free-to-air channels in primetime.

The telecast averaged 7.3% of 25-54 year-olds and 6.2% of 18-49s, the core commercial demographics that that networks covet, and was the second Sunday night mauling of FTA TV in a row.

TVNZ 1 was able to dominate in both demos from 5.00-7.30, with The Chase, 1 News at Six and and Hyundai Country Calendar. But thereafter Sky Sport 1 ruled.

TVNZ 1’s season finale of One Lane Bridge rebounded slightly from the previous week’s average with 2.0% of 25-54s and 1.8% of 18-49s while the penultimate episode of The Panthers averaged just 0.7% / 0.6%.

TVNZ 2’s movie Jason Bourne averaged 2.2% / 1.5% opposite 1.9% / 1.7% for Three’s Spider-Man.

Earlier, Three’s season premiere of Lego Masters Australia (3.0% / 2.6%) lost to TVNZ 1’s Sunday (4.4% / 3.1%) but beat TVNZ 2’s Inside Taronga Zoo (2.4% / 2.2%).

On Saturday TVNZ 1’s documentary 9/11: Life Under Attack won its slot with 18-49s (2.6%) and see-sawed with TVNZ 2’s movie Four Holidays in the 25-54 demo (2.9% vs 2.8%).

TVNZ 1 led both demos earlier in the night with 1 News, Tipping Point: Lucky Stars and Jamie’s Easy Meals for Every Day but TVNZ 2’s network premiere of Abominable out-rated Three’s premiere of Dora and the Lost City of Gold.

TVNZ 1 owned Friday night in the 25-54 demo until 9.30, when TVNZ 2’s 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown won its slot; in the 18-49 demo, the switchover occurred earlier, halfway through Have You Been Paying Attention?.

But Three’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom proved competitive, with 25-54 and 18-49 averages of 3.2% / 2.2%.

Note: These overnight ratings exclude viewership of the networks’ +1 SD channels.