Last Laugh for Three on Thursday

Three may not have quite got the last laugh on Thursday but it had plenty to smile about compared to woebegone TVNZ 2.

The latter’s share of 25-54 year-olds was only 12.30 and even in the commercial demographic it targets, 18-49 year-olds, it was 10 points behind its rivals (14.17 vs 24.54 for Three and 24.25 for TVNZ 1).

TVNZ 2’s highest rating programmes of the night in the 25-54 demo were Shortland Street, which averaged a 2.86 rating/19.89 share, and MasterChef Australia (2.55 rating/17.47 share).

TVNZ 1’s Seven Sharp and Three’s The Project both out-rated Shortland Street while Starstruck and 7 Days easily led MasterChef Australia.

7 Days narrowed the gap with Starstruck week-on-week, with only 2801 viewers separating the two.

Three’s Last Laughs! special won the 8.30 hour, with a 2.35 rating/18.61 share vs a 2.03 rating/16.54 share for Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job while TVNZ 2’s Australian Survivor could muster only a 0.86 rating/8.33 share.

Three’s winning streak continued at 9.30, when a re-run of The Graham Norton Show out-rated TVNZ 1’s Coronation Street and Survivor.

The highest-rating shows in the 25-54 demo were: 1 News, The Chase (5.30), Newshub Live at 6pm, The Chase (5.00), Starstruck, Seven Sharp, 7 Days, The Project, Shortland Street and MasterChef Australia.

The biggest free-to-air channel shares were: TVNZ 1, 28.20; Three, 22.99; TVNZ 2, 12.30; Bravo, 3.57; Eden, 3.16; Prime, 2.79; Duke, 2.56; Rush, 2.40.