HD Ratings: No Wow Factor Yet

The NZ premiere of The X Factor UK didn’t wow viewers on Wednesday, averaging a lower viewership than time slot predecessor Best of Top Gear.

It opened modestly with 4.3% – 4.6% of the commercial demographics against Reno Rumble’s 6.8% – 10.5%.

Viewership built over the first hour but fell away in the last half-hour opposite TV1’s season premiere of Benefits Street (4.3% – 6.4%) and TV2’s The Big Bang Theory (6.3% – 8.3%).

Benefits Street rated solidly off the back of Rachel Hunter’s Tour of Beauty (3.9% – 6.6%) and won the 8.30 hour in TV1’s target 25-54 demo.

TV3’s network movie premiere of The World’s End averaged 3.3% – 4.1% and dominated in its second hour, although TV1’s Undercover Boss USA drew more 25-54s.

TV1 and TV2 each won two of the key demos in a closely fought night:

TV1’s Tuesday Autopsy dissection of Robin Williams (5.7% – 8.8%) topped all the key demos except 18-39, who preferred TV2’s Step Dave (5.1% – 6.1%), leaving TV3’s Humans (1.9% – 4.7%) to finish third at 8.30.

Autopsy lead-out Kid Criminals (3.6% – 5.5%) won three of the four key demos opposite TV2’s World’s Worst Disasters (3.2% – 4.2%) and TV3’s Caught on Camera (1.0% – 1.8%).

Shortland Street and Reno Rumble dwarfed most of the competition earlier in the night while TV1’s late-night premiere of American Crime (1.0% – 1.4%) won its slot in all the key demos.

It capped a top night for TV1, which won three of the major demos:

SS and RR were mostly tops on Monday too, as was lead-out Wentworth (5.9% – 7.3%) — although TV1’s Criminal Minds (4.6% – 5.9%) and TV3’s Shark Tank (3.2% – 6.3%) were competitive.

But TV3’s Odyssey (1.4% – 1.9%) demonstrated why it’s being demoted to late-night Sundays from September 27 while TV1’s Castle  (2.2% – 4.5%) won the 9.30 hour in the 25-54 demo.

Again, TV1 and TV2 carved up the night between them:

On Sunday, TV1’s premiere of Winter (3.4% – 7.0%) won the 8.30 hour with 25-54s but TV3’s re-run of Water for Elephants (4.4% – 5.5%) was first with 18-49ers.

It also beat TV2’s re-run of Click (3.7% – 4.7%) in all the other key demos except 18-39.

TV1’s other premiere, Ordinary Lies, averaged 0.9% – 3.1% and only rated above 2% in the 25-54 demo.

TV2’s movie’s dominated Saturday night and the network’s The Voice Australia easily out-rated TV1 and TV3’s alternatives on Friday.