PRESS RELEASE
First-run Australian content has dominated the list of most-watched programs on subscription television in 2013.
Sport continues to be the most popular genre on subscription television, with 550,000 viewers tuning into the World Cup qualifier played between Australia and Iraq in June.
“Australians love local content, and in 2013 they have used their remote controls to vote overwhelmingly for locally produced content,” ASTRA Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Maiden, said today.
“In 2012/13 the subscription television industry responded by investing $700 million in local television productions, creating 6600 Australian jobs and adding $1.6 billion to the local economy,” Mr Maiden said.
The 50 most watched sport broadcasts feature a wide range of soccer, cricket, AFL, rugby union and NRL matches played predominantly across the winter months.
The 50 most watched non-sport broadcasts were dominated by the lifestyle and movies genres, with FOXTEL’s exclusive local production ‘Selling Houses Australia’ regularly attracting more than 200,000 viewers.
Around two-thirds of the highest rating non-sport programs were Australian made.
“Politics truly became a spectator sport in 2013, with Kevin Rudd’s successful challenge against Julia Gillard in June pulling three of the year’s highest-rating non-sport hours on SKY NEWS,” Mr Maiden said.
The most popular non-sport programs of 2013 included –
– Selling Houses Australia – The Lifestyle Channel
– Oprah Winfrey’s interview with cyclist Lance Armstrong – Discovery Channel
– Grand Designs Australia – The Lifestyle Channel
– The Walking Dead – FX
– Location Location Location Australia – The Lifestyle Channel
– Australia’s Next Top Model – FOX8
– River Cottage Australia – The Lifestyle Channel
– Movies including Men in Black 3, Skyfall, The Avengers and Teen Beach Movie – Foxtel Movies Premiere
Mr Maiden said that subscription television providers were focused on building overall subscriber numbers as well as audiences for particular broadcasts.
“Unlike free-to-air networks which must attract advertisers to mass audiences watching a single program, the business model for subscription television is based on aggregating subscribers across scores of targeted channels,” Mr Maiden said.
“On occasions in 2013, more Australians tuned into subscription channels than any single free-to-air network’s group of channels,” he concluded.
Audience data is based on the OzTAM National Panel for weeks 1-49 consolidated to 8 December 2013.