HDTV Ratings: July 3-4

Wednesday’s series premiere of The Block NZ helped TV3 to win the night with its target audience, 25-54 year-olds.

It was a rare leg up the ratings ladder for the network on a night when TV2’s HD sitcom block invariably is unassailable.

The Block averaged 10.3%-13.2% of the key demographics for the 7.30 hour, against Two and a Half Men’s 11.6%-11.7% and 2 Broke Girls’ 8.5%-9.2%.

It largely won the hour and was most popular with household shoppers.

However, TV2 dominated the 8.30 hour, when The Big Bang Theory and Happy Endings out-rated the series finale of TV3’s Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms (6.9%-8.3%).

And at 9.30, TV One’s HD crime show Castle (4.5%-6.0%) narrowly beat TV3’s, Breakout Kings (3.3%-4.5%).

TV3’s other HD premiere this week, Kings Cross ER, fared less well on Tuesday, when it averaged only 4.9%-5.8% — or roughly half the viewership of its HD competition, Highway Cops on TV One and Suburgatory on TV2.

The Middle enjoyed a similar dominance at 7.30 while an hour later audiences were split across Intrepid Journeys (6.3%-10.0%), The Mentalist (8.2%-9.8%) and NCIS (3.9%-6.9%).

At 9.30, GCB had the edge on Hawaii Five-O, averaging 5.8%-7.7% versus 3.3%-4.7%.