HDTV Ratings: January 31-February 6

Monday’s network HD premiere of Avatar helped TV3 to win the night but didn’t demolish the competition.

It averaged 10.1% of TV3’s target audience, 25-54 year-olds, versus 9.3% for TV One’s Criminal Minds and 7.3% for TV2’s SD movie, Sweet Home Alabama.

With TV2’s core viewership, 18-39 year-olds, the race was much tighter: Avatar averaged 8.6% and Alabama 8%.

Avatar also won the 18-49 contest but lost sharply to both Alabama and Criminal Minds in the household shoppers stakes.

Despite its blockbuster status, Avatar rated only marginally better for TV3 than last week’s re-run of The Transporter.

Clearly, the 3D sensation’s overexposure at the box office and on Blu-ray limited its 2D appeal on the small screen.

Earlier in the evening, TV One’s Piha Rescue and Rapid Response were up slightly on last week’s 25-54 ratings, with 8.3% and 8.8% respectively, while Person of Interest was down two-and-a-half points to just 5.3% of 25-54s, which suggests viewers are quickly losing interest in this gimmicky procedural.

On Sunday night, TV3’s HD premiere of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs trampled TV2’s HD re-run of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in most demographics.

Only among HHS were the two neck-and-neck, with Ice Age averaging 8.8% and Potter 8.5%.

Viewership largely halved for TV3’s second HD movie of the night, a repeat of Epic Movie, while TV2’s Saturday HD movie, The Accidental Husband, was largely out-rated by TV One’s HSBC Sevens World rugby coverage, winning only with HHS.

The Sevens also took the wind out of Graham Norton’s Madonna show on Friday, with the chat king’s ratings dropping several points across the board, while Underbelly’s return on Wednesday, with the HD telemovie, Infiltration, barely out-gunned TV One’s Harry’s Law for 25-54 honours but not TV2’s Wilson Dixon: The NZ Tour, which was twice as popular.

Tuesday’s Night at the Museum 2 also was a flop for 3, averaging only 5.1% of 25-54s, 4.5% of 18-49s, 3.5% of 18-39s and 5.9% of HHS to finish third in its slot.