HD Ratings: Changing Rooms Changing Slots?

Changing Rooms Australia could soon be changing slots if its overnight ratings don’t improve.

Last Sunday’s premiere tanked, averaging only 1.3% of TVNZ 2’s target audience, 18-49 year-olds.

It also flopped with 25-54s (1.5%), 18-39s (1.3%) and household shoppers with kids (3.0%).

Its chief rival, Three’s Married at First Sight Australia, averaged 4.7% of 18-49s, 6.8% of 25-54s, 3.2% of 18-39s and 7.3% of HHS/k.

TVNZ 1’s Sunday out-rated it as well in all these core commercial demographics, averaging 2.4% – 6.3%.

Monday’s second instalment improved but was still well behind the competition.

It averaged 2.6% of 18-49s, 2.9% of 25-54s,  2.2% of 18-39s and 5.4% of HHS/k.

But Three’s MAFS was also up in all the key demos, averaging 4.1% – 11.0%.

And the only core demo in which it topped TVNZ 1’s Fair Go and The Casketeers was HHS/k.

A week of consolidated ratings and on-demand catch-up may bolster this week’s viewership.

And some reality series, like Australian Survivor, start slowly and build momentum.

But based on the first two broadcasts, Changing Rooms looks set to be big as big a bomb here at it was for domestic broadcaster Network 10.

TV Week reports that Network 10 has opted to hold remaining episodes of Changing Rooms until later in the year.

“It isn’t shiny and new,” 10’s Chief Content Officer Beverley McGarvey said last week.

“It’s mainly sweet and uplifting and I think it got caught in and amongst all that other stuff, so we will hold that show until we find an appropriate slot where it has a chance of cutting through and getting some clean air.”

So even if CR’s ratings improve here, TVNZ 2 may be forced to follow suit as, depending on the terms of the deal, it may not be possible for the network to air episodes ahead of 10.