Like previous years, TVNZ shows made up the vast majority of the top 20 most-watched programmes list for last year, with a magician, a talent show and two current affairs offerings luring the most eyeballs in 2013.
Based on Nielsen’s TAM consolidated ratings for all 5+, including movies and other one-off telecasts like sporting events and specials, Dynamo: Magician Impossible was number one, with its 12 episodes averaging 701,000 viewers and gaining an average rating of 17 percent. So he was obviously a good choice to MC TVNZ’s new season launch (via pre-recorded video rather than in person) late last year.
Top 20 Shows for 2013 inclusive of everything
Rank | Programme | Channel | No. of Episodes | Avg Rating % | Avg Aud in 000’s |
1 | Dynamo Magician Impossible | TVONE* | 12 | 17.0 | 701.2 |
2 | New Zealand’s Got Talent | TVONE* | 13 | 17.0 | 700.3 |
3 | One News | TVONE* | 365 | 15.6 | 643.7 |
4 | Sunday(PM) | TVONE* | 44 | 15.4 | 633.6 |
5 | Mrs. Brown’s Boys | TVONE* | 8 | 14.6 | 601 |
6 | Hyundai Country Calendar | TVONE* | 30 | 14.3 | 588 |
7 | Fair Go | TVONE* | 36 | 14.2 | 585.6 |
8 | Border Security (R) | TVONE* | 28 | 14.0 | 578.3 |
9 | Dog Squad | TVONE* | 10 | 13.9 | 573.9 |
10 | MasterChef New Zealand | TVONE* | 17 | 13.9 | 573.7 |
11 | Fair Go Ad Awards 2013 | TVONE* | 1 | 13.9 | 573 |
12 | Life Flight | TVONE* | 10 | 13.3 | 549.7 |
13 | Border Security | TVONE* | 17 | 13.3 | 546.9 |
14 | Shortland Street | TV2* | 236 | 13.0 | 534.6 |
15 | My Kitchen Rules | TV2* | 46 | 12.9 | 531.9 |
16 | Mrs. Brown’s Boys (R) | TVONE* | 21 | 12.8 | 527.5 |
17 | Fair Go School Ad Awards | TVONE* | 1 | 12.4 | 512.5 |
18 | High Country Rescue | TVONE* | 2 | 12.4 | 509.4 |
19 | Intl Rugby Bledisloe Cup | SKY Network | 1 | 12.3 | 508.2 |
20 | The Block NZ Unlocked | TV3* | 1 | 12.3 | 506.8 |
- Check out 2012’s top shows here.
In second spot was New Zealand’s Got Talent, which was the only other show to break the 700,000 mark (its first season saw it gain a 22 percent audience rating, but last year it dipped to 17 percent and it has been axed for 2014). One News and Sunday were next on 643,000 and and 633,000 respectively.
In what some will no doubt see as a sad indictment of humanity (over and above the fact that New Zealand’s Got Talent was second most-watched show and most of the top 20 are reality shows), Mrs Brown’s Boys was fifth with an average audience of 601,000. And a repeat of an old series came in at 16th with 527,000.
Fair Go once again rated well, perhaps to the chagrin of Brian Edwards, with an average audience of 585,000 and an average rating of 14.2 percent. This is down only slightly from 2012 when it was 14.4 percent.
The Fair Go Ad Awards also stood out, bringing in 573,000 viewers for a 13.9 percent audience share. This was down from 18.3 percent share in 2012 when it was the second most watched show of the year, but it did split the event across two nights in 2013, and that decision appears to have been vindicated because the Fair Go School Ad Awards also made the top 20 list with 512,000 viewers and a 12.4 percent share.
TV2 backed up its performance in 2012 and had two inclusions in the list, with Shortland St and My Kitchen Rules coming in 14th and 15th respectively (Ben Bayly and Gareth Stuart have just been announced as the judges for a local version of My Kitchen Rules that will screen later this year).
Sky had only one placing, with the Bledisloe Cup match coming in 19th with an audience of 508,000. And the same applied to MediaWorks, with The Block Unlocked taking 20th spot with an audience 506,000.
*Nielsen TAM, Consolidated (AP5+) 1/1/2013 -31/12/2013. Ratings include parent channels and plus 1 channels combined where applicable.