HD Ratings: Viewers Sour on MasterChef Clash

In one of the silliest programming manoeuvres since TVNZ rolled out Popstars across both its networks, the MasterChef Australia vs NZ stoush on Sunday split the audience and dished up TVNZ 1 an easy win in both core commercial demographics.

You can argue which network was in the wrong: Three for launching its MasterChef revival in the slot where TVNZ 2 annually has aired the Australian version or the latter for not holding back Fans & Faves until MasterChef NZ ended its run (given MasterChef Oz already is two months out of date, what would have been lost by delaying its broadcast for another two months, scheduling logistics aside; moreover, TVNZ 2 could have got the jump on Three by airing it earlier).

Viewers weren’t impressed with the programming games. Each MasterChef averaged fewer than 2.0% of the key demos while Hyundai Country Calendar and Sunday were three-to-four times more popular.

F&F was the biggest loser, averaging just 1.7% of 25-54s and 1.1% of 18-49s whereas Master Chef NZ mustered 1.9%/1.3%.

HCC countered with 7.6%/5.2% and Sunday with 6.0%/4.0%.

TVNZ 2 and Three, meanwhile, compounded the futility of their eyeball-to-eyeball clash by following the MasterChef duel with two equally like-minded bargain-bin movies, Furious 6 and The Expendables, reflecting the macho posturing of each network.

Given TVNZ 2 had been running the Fast & Furious franchise for five weeks, it beggars belief that Three would launch its own mano-a-mano hokum franchise midway through.

Sly Stallone’s over-the-hill mercenaries came off worst, averaging 1.3% of 25-54s (vs F6’s 1.7%) and 1.0% of 18-49s (vs 1.4%).

TVNZ 1’s documentary, Elon Musk’s Crash Course, roared ahead of both, with averages of 3.8%/2.7%.

On the smaller HD channels, Eden’s Death Defying Acts averaged 0.2% of 25-54s, Prime’s The Cleaning Lady and Yellowstone 0.2%, and Whakaata Māori’s Submarine 0.0%; all were beaten by Duke’s rugged cuisine block.

TVNZ 1 won the night with huge 33+ shares of the major demos while TVNZ 2 and Three were neck-and-neck for the leftovers.

On Friday and Saturday, Sky’s Super Rugby Pacific coverage decimated free-to-air viewership but TVNZ 1’s 9.00 Saturday premiere of obscure NZ-Canadian co-pro Love Knots won its slot in the 25-54 demo.

Note: These overnight ratings exclude viewership of the networks’ +1 SD channels.