HD Ratings: Arrow’s Bow Doesn’t Wow

TV2’s season premiere of Arrow on Thursday couldn’t pierce the appeal of TV3 warhorse CSI.

Arrow averaged 5.7% – 9.6% of the major demographics compared to CSI’s 6.2% – 7.2%.

It was more popular with household shoppers and had the edge in the 18-49 demo (6.6% vs 6.3%).

But CSI was tops with adults 25-54 (6.6% vs 5.7%) and the two tied in the 18-39 stakes (6.2%).

TV2 executives will be disappointed Arrow didn’t recapture the high-flying start of the first season, which scored double-digit ratings in a 9.30 slot.

Since switching to 8.30 Thursdays mid-season, its ratings have waned sharply.

Even more troubling was how viewership nosedived over the hour, from 12.4% of HHS to 7.5%, and from 7.8% of adults 18-39 to 5.3%.

However, CSI’s appeal was bolstered by an exceptionally strong lead-in: the penultimate episode of The Block: All Stars (9.5% – 13.5%).

It out-rated TV2’s return of Police Ten-7 and Motorway Patrol in all the key demos except HHS, despite the latter having the benefit of Shortland Street’s 11.5% – 19.0% lead-in.

TV One’s HD time slot rival, George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, averaged 2.9% – 6.4% and its lead-out, Doc Martin, 2.0% – 5.5%.

At 9.30, TV3’s The Incredible Hulk Woman rated higher than previous HD docos in the slot (3.4% – 5.5%) and seesawed with the return of TV2’s 20/20 (3.7% – 4.7%).

Vampire Diaries spin-off The Originals made a solid debut at 10.30, winning the hour with 2.9% – 4.5% of the key demos.

The peak-hour HD channel ratings and shares were:

• Adults 18-49: TV One, 4.0 rating/14.5 share; TV2, 7.3 rating/26.5 share; TV3, 6.8 rating/24.7 share
• Adults 18-39:  TV One, 3.1 rating/11.6 share; TV2, 7.2 rating/27.1 share; TV3, 6.7 rating/25.1 share
• Adults 25-54: TV One, 4.9 rating/17.3 share; TV2, 6.7 rating/23.5 share; TV3, 7.3 rating/25.5 share
• HHS: TV One, 7.4 rating/19.8 share; TV2, 10.5 rating/28.8 share; TV3, 9.6 rating/25.6 share.