Networks Rush to Win Premium Demos

A sharp ratings rise for Three’s NCIS wasn’t enough to beat TVNZ 2’s re-run of cycling thriller Premium Rush on Tuesday.

In its third week, the veteran procedural averaged 4.0% of Three’s target audience, 25-54 year-olds, compared to 2.5% the previous week.

And with 18-49 year-olds, which is TVNZ 2’s key demographic, it improved from 2.6% – 3.6%.

While this was enough to top TVNZ 1’s I Am Innocent in both demos (25-54: 3.8%, 18-49: 3.3%), NCIS trailed TVNZ 2’s SD movie re-run.

Rush averaged 6.0% of 25-54s and 5.7% of 18-49s over the course of two hours, which was also streets ahead of TVNZ 1’s The Missing (25-54: 2.9%, 18-49: 2.1%).

While I Am Innocent’s week-on-week ratings were steady in these key demos, The Missing’s improved, up nearly a point with 25-54s and seven-tenths of a point with 18-49s.

That was impressive given Premium Rush was nearly twice as popular as Police Academy 2 the previous week.

TVNZ 2 also dominated earlier in the night, with Shortland Street and My Kitchen Rules winning their slots in all the core commercial demos.

Three’s Married at First Sight Australia (25-54: 6.4%, 18-49, 6.2%) easily beat TVNZ 1’s Border Security International (25-54: 5.3%,  18-49: 4.5%) and The Force (25-54: 4.3%, 18-49, 3.6%).

And while it lost overall to MKR, it was competitive enough to win several quarter-hour segments.

TVNZ 1 and Three’s news hours were also competitive: the former won with 25-54s (9.7% vs 7.9%) and 18-49s (7.5% vs 7.2%) but lost with 18-39s (4.6% vs 6.8%).

And despite winning with household shoppers with kids, lead-out Seven Sharp lost to Three’s The Project in this core demo (but comfortably out-rated it in the others).

The competition resulted in one of the tightest Tuesday night races ever in the 25-54 stakes: TVNZ 1’s 24.0% primetime average was pipped by TVNZ 2 and Three each averaging 24.9%.

With 18-49s, TVNZ 2 averaged 26.7%, Three 25.7% and TVNZ 1, 22.0%.