HD Ratings: Big Brother Bombs

Big Brother Australia bombed on Wednesday, when TVNZ 2’s two-hour session premiere rated lower in the core commercial demographics than the sitcoms and soap it pre-empted.

The 25-54 and 18-49 averages were the same across both hours: 0.3% in the first and 0.6% in the second.

TVNZ 1’s The Chase averaged 4.8% and 3.5% of these demos, and Three’s Gold Rush 1.0% and 0.6%.

At 6.00, 1 News at 6pm averaged 7.7%/5.5% and Newshub Live at 6pm 4.3%/2.9%.

The previous night, The Simpsons averaged 0.4%/0.3% at 5.00, Friends 1.5%/1.3% at 5.30, The Big Bang Theory 1.4%/1.3% at 6.00 and Home and Away 3.2%/2.5% at 6.30.

Big Brother’s 18-49 ratings were roughly the same on Thursday but improved its 25-54 average: 0.5% for the first hour and 0.9% for the concluding half-hour.

Even so, it still trailed the competition on TVNZ 1 and Three.

On Wednesday, TVNZ 2 had more success with Snack Masters, which won the 7.30 hour with a 24-54 average of 3.7% and an 18-49 tally of 2.8%.

TVNZ 1 rival The Million Pound Cube averaged 3.2%/2.3% and Three’s Parental Guidance 2.4%/1.8%.

But TVNZ 1 dominated from 8.30 with Kirstie & Phil’s Love It or List It UK and Coronation Street, and easily won the night’s biggest 25-54 and 18-49 shares.

TVNZ 1 also swept Thursday night in the 25-54 stakes, with 10 Years Younger in 10 Days and Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby — but Coro St lost to the second hour of TVNZ 2’s movie Van Helsing.

Viewers 18-49 opted for the movie over both hours.

At 7.30, Ten 7 Aotearoa averaged 2.3% of 25-54s and 2.8% of 18-49s and lead-out Dog Squad: Puppy School 2.8% and 2.7%.

Both were beaten by Three’s 7 Days (3.7%/3.3%) while the network’s stand-up special James Roque Boy Mestizo averaged 1.7%/1.1% opposite Eden’s 8.30 drama series Finding Alice (0.1% of each key demo) and Prime’s Julia (0.1%/0.2%).

TVNZ 1 won the night with roughly 34% shares of the major demos.

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