HD Ratings: News Hours Lock Down Viewers

Network news coverage of the Delta variation outbreak rewarded TVNZ 1 and Three with exceptionally strong ratings for their flagship bulletins on Thursdays.

1 News averaged 16.4% of 25-54 year-olds and 11.9% of 18-49s and Newshub Live 8.3% / 6.9%.

Their popularity also lifted the viewership of lead-outs Seven Sharp and The Project.

The latter averaged 10.6% / 7.9% and the former 5.7% / 4.2%.

The race was tighter at 7.30, when Three’s re-run of David Lomas Investigates averaged 4.9% / 3.9% of the core commercial demographics to beat TVNZ 2’s MasterChef Australia (4.5% / 3.4%).

It tied with TVNZ 1’s Your Home Made Perfect in the 18-49 demo but lost to it among 25-54s, with the house makeover hour averaging 5.2%.

Losing 7 Days due to the Covid lockdown cost Three at 8.30, when an abruptly scheduled repeat of Bay Patrol averaged 2.9% / 2.4% of the key demos against time slot-winning Police Ten 7 (4.0% / 3.2%).

Police lead-out A Current Affair averaged 2.8% / 2.2% opposite 1.8% / 1.4% for Three’s Aussie Gold Hunters.

TVNZ 1’s Super Rich Sleepover was no pushover, with 3.2% / 2.1% averages.

Three rebounded with Newshub Late winning its slot in both key demos while TVNZ 2’s Filthy House SOS beat TVNZ 1’s Coronation Street.

TVNZ 1 won the night with 31+ shares of the core demos while Three edged out TVNZ 2 for second place.