HD Ratings: Three Unmasks Another Winner

As expected, Three’s premiere of The Masked Singer NZ on Sunday was a foot-stomping crowdpleaser.

The Married at First Sight Australia successor averaged 6.7% of the network’s core commercial audience, 25-54 year-olds, and 5.4% of its next key demopraphic, 18-49 year-olds.

And despite critics carping it was “more cringe than binge” and “likely to get real-old, real-quick“, the premiere maintained its high viewership throughout the hour.

The first half-hour couldn’t top TVNZ 1’s Hyundai Country Calendar (7.2% of 25-54s /5.4% of 18-49s) but trounced everything else.

TVNZ 1’s Sunday averaged 4.3% / 3.1% of the major demos and TVNZ 2’s movie re-run, The BFG, 1.9% / 1.6%.

Pairing Singer with the 8.00 free-to-air premiere of Men in Black International meant Three ruled the rest of the night, too, with the movie averaging 4.2% / 2.8%.

TVNZ 1’s Beat the Chasers was second at 8.30, with 2.8% / 1.8%, and TVNZ 2’s Best Foods Comedy Gala third (1.5% / 1.2%).

It was another rough week for Line of Duty — one of the UK’s highest-rating shows averaged merely 0.9% / 0.5% — while Prime’s HBO documentary series Murder on Middle Beach sunk without trace (0.0% of each key demo).

Singer’s debut helped Three to win the night’s biggest 25-54 and 18-49 shares (31.9% / 31.8%).

TVNZ 1 averaged 26.4% / 24.6% and TVNZ 2, 9.1% / 10.0%.