The Nine Network has wrapped up the 2014 ratings year as Australia’s most-watched network across all key demographics.
It marks the third year running that Nine has achieved the largest share of the advertiser preferred demographics of People 25-54, 18-49 and 16-39.
Across the five mainland capitals, the Nine Network concludes the 2014 ratings year with the following shares of the free-to-air, prime-time television audience:
• 31.9% with People 25-54 – 1.7 share points ahead of Seven Network and 10.3 share points ahead of Ten Network
• 32.2% with People 18-49 – 2.1 share points ahead of Seven Network and 9.6 share points ahead of Ten Network
• 32.8% with People 16-39 – 3 share points ahead of Seven Network and 9.6 share points ahead of Ten Network
For the third consecutive year, the Nine Network grew its share of Total People. The Nine Network concludes the ratings year with a 29.2% share of the free-to-air, prime-time television audience with Total People.
The Nine Network also made considerable gains at its newly attained stations of Adelaide and Perth which were acquired in the second half of 2013. In Adelaide, Nine’s primetime television audience in 2014 grew by a healthy 4.8% with Total People, when compared to 2013. In Perth, Nine grew its primetime television audience by a massive 10% with Total People, when compared to 2013. Conversely, Seven’s 2014 primetime audience in its stranglehold of Perth shrunk by 5%, when compared to 2013.
Nine also boasts the three highest rating programs of the year and the only program to achieve an average national audience in excess of four million.
The second Rugby League State of Origin match between NSW and Queensland takes out the title of the highest rating program of 2014, with a massive combined metro and regional average audience of 4.064 million (2.600 million 5 City / 1.464 million regional).
The first Rugby League State of Origin match comes in as the second most-watched program of 2014, with a national average audience of 3.981 million (2.530 million 5 City / 1.451 million regional).
Rounding out the Top 3 programs of 2014 is the NRL Grand Final, with a national average audience of 3.965 million (2.621 million 5 City / 1.344 million regional). It also now holds the record of being the highest rating NRL match of all time, across the five mainland capitals.
Nine dominates the highest rating shows of the year, achieving more top rating programs than any other network. Nine boasts 17 of the Top 20, 22 of the Top 30, 35 of the Top 50 and 59 of the Top 100 programs of 2014.
Nine News is Australia’s No. 1 nightly news service for the second year running, wrapping up the ratings period with an average weeknight audience of 1.109 million across the five mainland capitals, compared to 1.081 million for Seven News – an average lead of 28,000 viewers each weeknight.
Nine was first to launch a one-hour bulletin and Nine News 6.30 also dominated the 2014 ratings year, posting an average weeknight audience of 1.045 million across the five mainland capitals, compared to 1.004 million for Seven News/Today Tonight – an average lead of 41,000 viewers each weeknight.
In Australia’s three largest cities, the dominance of Nine News is even more emphatic.
• In Sydney, Nine News achieved an average weeknight audience of 334,000, compared to Seven News which recorded a 2014 average weeknight audience of 256,000 (down 9% year-on-year) – an average lead of 78,000 viewers each weeknight. Nine News in Sydney won all 40 of the 2014 ratings weeks and has not lost a ratings survey week since November 2012. Nine News in Sydney has won the past 82 ratings weeks back-to-back.
• In Melbourne, Nine News achieved an average weeknight audience of 378,000, compared to Seven News which recorded a 2014 average weeknight audience of 283,000 (down 7.6% year-on-year) – an average lead of 95,000 viewers each weeknight. Nine News in Melbourne won all 40 of the 2014 ratings weeks and has not lost a ratings survey week in more than three years. Nine News in Melbourne has won the past 121 ratings weeks back-to-back.
• In Brisbane, Nine News achieved an average weeknight audience of 235,000, compared to Seven News which recorded a 2014 average weeknight audience of 212,000 million (down 15.6% year-on-year) – an average lead of 23,000 viewers each weeknight. Nine News in Brisbane won 36 of the 40-week ratings year in 2014. Nine News in Brisbane this year recorded some of its biggest ever margins over Seven News since the introduction of OzTam in 2001.
60 Minutes was Australia's No. 1 weekly news and current affairs program in 2014. 60 Minutes wraps up the 2014 ratings year with an average weekly national audience of 1.737 million (1.246 million 5 City / 491,000 regional), well ahead of rival Sunday Night on an average of 1.699 million viewers each week (1.154 million 5 City / 544,000 regional). On the Sunday evenings both shows were on air, 60 Minutes won the head-to-head battle, 23 weeks to 10.
Nine is home to Australia’s No. 1 drama series. The country fell in love with Love Child which, in its first season, stormed to the top of the ratings, posting an average national audience of 2.087 million viewers per episode (1.466 million 5 City / 622,000 regional).
After nine Blockbuster series, The Block remains Australia’s No.1 renovation reality program, with the Winner Announced segment of The Block Glasshouse achieving an average national audience of 3.632 million (2.687 million 5 City / 945,000 regional) and the Winner Announced segment of The Block Fans v Faves achieving an average national audience of 3.201 million (2.265 million 5 City / 936,000 regional), compared to 3.137 million for House Rules (2.070 million 5 City / 1.066 million regional).
Australia’s No. 1 home-grown comedy for 2014 is Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year South America, recording an average national audience of 1.563 million per episode (1.142 million 5 City / 422,000 regional).
Hot Seat is Australia’s No. 1 5.30pm game show, with an average daily national audience of 914,000 (603,000 5 City / 311,000 regional), compared to 802,000 for Million Dollar Minute (533,000 5 City / 269,000 regional) – an average lead of 112,000 viewers each afternoon.
Michael Healy, Director of Television with the Nine Network said: “All of us at the Nine Network are pleased to claim the number one mantle with all key demographics for the third year running in 2014. The result means we are the most watched network with everyone under 65. It is proof our programming resonates with our target audience and that’s what we all work so hard to achieve. It is, of course, a team effort and I must thank and congratulate our whole Nine family – on air talent, our management team and all staff on achieving this common goal. We also acknowledge and thank our incredibly loyal viewers who tune in night after night, making us part of their lives. We will certainly not be taking our foot off the accelerator – 2015 will be a massive year for Nine."