Today closes the ratings gap with Sunrise as Nine’s breakfast ratings grow thanks to the popularity of Married At First Sight in prime time
Nine’s Today show is narrowing the gap with Channel Seven rivals Sunrise in the breakfast TV ratings – and it could be thanks to Married At First Sight.
On Wednesday, 211,000 metro viewers tuned in to watch Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon interview MAFS participants after Tuesday night’s final vows.
While this represented a ratings boost for Today, it still wasn’t enough to beat Sunrise which had an audience of 229,000.
Close to the top! Today narrowed ratings gap with Sunrise this week as hungry Married At First Sight fans tuned in for juicy content about the couples
However, a difference of only 18,000 is nothing to sneeze at given that Today has lagged behind by significantly more in the past, TV Tonight reports.
This year’s season of MAFS has been another prime-time ratings success for Nine.
The social experiment has been heavily cross-promoted on the Today show, Today Extra and A Current Affair, offering a welcome boost to those programs.
It’s a hit! This year’s MAFS has been another major ratings success for Nine, and who heavily cross-promoted on the Today and Today Extra. The controversial season has seen a tempers flare among the cast – with much of the attention on Bryce Ruthven and and Melissa Rawson
A popular prime-time offering has likely benefited Today because many viewers have a habit of watching the breakfast show that is on when they turn on their television sets in the morning.
Therefore, if someone watched Married At First Sight on Nine the night before, they’re more likely to stick with Today the following day.
MAFS has seen tempers flare and emotions run high this year – with much of the focus on Bryce Ruthven’s relationship with Melissa Rawson.
Today’s ratings boost may come to an end, however, when the reality shot concludes on Sunday with part two of the reunion dinner party.
Emotional: Sunrise experienced a similar ratings boost in the lead up to and on the day of Samantha Armytage’s departure from the show in March. The Channel Seven breakfast show received an expected spike to 308,000 metro viewers for Sam’s final day
Meanwhile, Sunrise experienced a similar growth in ratings due to co-host Sam Armytage’s departure in March, with curious viewers sticking around see how her replacement Natalie Barr fares in the hot seat alongside David ‘Kochie’ Koch.
The Seven breakfast show spiked to 308,000 metro viewers for Sam’s last day.
The numbers settled back down to 248,000 the following week and have remained steady, proving the audience has warmed to Natalie as a main presenter.
Steady numbers: The numbers settled back down to 248,000 the following week and remained steady with newly appointed host Natalie Barr at the helm alongside David ‘Kochie’ Koch
Natalie, who used to be the newsreader for Sunrise, told TV Blackbox last month her first day on the job was ‘nightmarish’.
‘I love covering the news, I love going out to these stories. But the attention on me is not my natural habitat,’ she said.
‘The first day, was probably a bit nightmarish for me because everyone kept asking, “How are you? How are you going? What’s it like?”
‘I just wanted to go back to the new normal, where we’ll actually be covering the news, and the events and the great interviews that we do – not me!’
Out of her comfort zone: Natalie told TV Blackbox that her first day on the job was ‘nightmarish’. ‘I love covering the news, I love going out to these stories. But the attention on me is not my natural habitat,’ she said