HD Ratings: Treasure Island a Gem for TVNZ 2

TVNZ 2’s season premiere of Celebrity Treasure Island left Three’s season finale of The Block NZ high and dry in the core commercial demographics on Monday night.

CTI averaged a heroic 7.2% of 25-54 year-olds and 5.9% of 18-49s, and sustained this viewership over the course of its 70-minute launch.

The Block NZ, which was cut back from its customary 90-minute live auction to a pre-recorded hour because of the lockdown, averaged 5.5% / 4.2%.

The first half out-rated TVNZ 1’s Fair Go but the second lost to Border Patrol.

Moreover, Three’s NZ drama Head High took a big tumble against TVNZ 1’s My Life is Murder, averaging 1.8% of 25-54s vs 4.5% for the Lucy Lawless whodunit.

The gap wasn’t as wide in the 18-49 demo — 1.5% vs 3.4% — but both shows were beaten by the final of TVNZ 2’s The Undateables (4.9% / 4.2%).

TVNZ 2’s series premiere of musical-comedy Girls5eva, however, didn’t strike the same chord, averaging just 1.7% / 1.4% ahead of The Walking Dead’s 1.3% / 1.1%.

TVNZ 1’s 20/20 won the 9.30 hour (1.8% / 1.3%) while Three’s Emergency Call finished third (1.0% / 0.7%).

TVNZ 1 won the night, with 30+ shares of the key demos, having got a huge head start with its 4.00 Covid news conference coverage about the government reducing the lockdown alert level averaging 15.1% of 25-54s and 12.6% of 18-49s (16.2% of the entire country tuned in).

While Three’s coverage averaged 4.8% of 25-54s and 3.8% of 18-49s, it did help Aussie Gold Hunters get off to a sturdy start in its new 5.00 weekday slot: 2.3% / 1.5%.

Its was no match for TVNZ 1’s The Chase but better than predecessor Millionaire Hot Seat the previous Monday.

Interest in the alert levels announcement was reflected in 1 News at Six averaging 13.1% / 9.1% (vs 5.8% / 4.7% for Newshub Live), and Seven Sharp 8.8% / 6.3% (vs 4.9% / 3.7% for The Project).