At the half year point of 2009 subscription television is making further inroads against free TV in metropolitan markets, according to the latest OzTAM figures.
In the first 26 weeks of the year subscription television has grown its audience year on year by 4.1%, while the free-to-air networks’ audience has fallen 1.5% in metro markets. Among the individual networks Nine’s audience fell by 3.5%, SBS decreased 6%, while Seven and Ten increased by 0.6% and 1.7% respectively. The ABC audience grew by 2.7%.
In terms of audience share of primetime, STV also increased, posting 23.2% share, up from 22.2% last year. Seven held the next biggest share with 21.7%, followed by Nine on 19.6%, Ten on 17.4%, then the ABC and SBS with 12.7% and 3.3%.
Meanwhile, figures put out by Free TV, the industry body for free television, focused mainly on quarter on quarter results. These OzTAM and Regional TAM figures showed metro free-to-air viewing was up 6.2% quarter on quarter and in the regional areas it was up a similar 6.1%.
Free TV’s OzTAM figures said average audiences were up on the second quarter of 2008 in the key demographics of 25-39 and 40-54.
Anthony Fitzgerald, chief executive of Multi Channel Network, the pay TV sales house, questioned Free TV’s strategy of releasing information based on quarter-on-quarter data. “Free-to-air has performed reasonably well in the face of competition, but they are endeavouring to change the rules of the game by comparing the second quarter with first quarter to show strong growth. Free-to-air has for years been saying summer ratings are irrelevant. To compare quarter one with quarter two is a nonsense.”
