HD Ratings: Top Gear Still in First Gear

TVNZ 1’s season premiere of Top Gear stalled on Monday, with a 25-54 average of 2.1% versus 5.3% for Three’s Married at First Sight Australia.

Like another BBC classic TVNZ poached from Prime, Doctor Who, the newly woke Top Gear is struggling to gain traction here.

In the 18-49 demographic, it averaged only 1.1% vs 4.3% for MAFS.

It couldn’t even out-rate the dated Bill Bailey special on TVNZ 2, Limboland, which scored the same demo average.

However, Top Gear was more popular among 25-54s, with only 1.5% of these viewers bothering with the bargain-bin Bailey programming.

The softness of TVNZ’s 8.30 competition helped Three’s The Gulf to rate better from 9.00-10.00, with a 25-54 average of 2.1%.

The return of 20/20 at 9.30 won the hour for TVNZ 1 but with low averages of 1.9% (25-54) and 1.1% (18-49).

Once again, MAFS dominated in all the core commercial demos, drawing twice as many 18-49 and 25-54 viewers as TVNZ 2’s The Bachelor NZ (2.5%).

It also was a strong night for Seven Sharp, which won its slot with 6.5% of 25-54s vs 3.5% for Three’s The Project.

And in the 18-49 demo, it seesawed with TVNZ’s Shortland Street (4.4% vs 4.5%).

TVNZ 1 won the 6pm news hour in the key demos but Three’s 4.30 Newshub bulletin won its slot to cap a winning afternoon in the 25-54 demo.

TVNZ 1 won the biggest 25-54 share for the night while Three was a point ahead in the 18-49 stakes.