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The AFL’s ploy to launch the 2012 season with the first-ever Sydney derby has proved a ratings winner.
The game between the Swans and GWS was the fifth-highest rating program on free-to-air TV on Saturday.
It received a total people metro audience of 574,000 on the Seven network according to OzTam, excluding the Sydney and Brisbane markets. It was shown on 7mate in Sydney and Brisbane.
The pre-match coverage of the game received 404,000 viewers, minus Sydney and Brisbane, and the post-match coverage got 329,000, also without those two markets.
The decision to not show the AFL on its main channel in Sydney and Brisbane, especially in Sydney considering the two teams involved, seems a surprising one.
On pay TV the Giants-Swans clash was watched by a national audience (metro and regional) of 251,000, putting it as the second highest-rating sports event on pay TV for the weekend, only behind the Dragons-Sea Eagles game (283,000).
The other Saturday pay TV NRL games received audiences of 246,000 (Cowboys-Sharks) and 224,000 (Warriors-Titans). Saturday’s early afternoon Super Rugby match between the Waratahs and Sharks was only watched by 99,000 people.
Nine’s Friday night football featured the Western Sydney derby of the Panthers versus Parramatta. This was watched by 646,000 metro city viewers, excluding Melbourne and Adelaide.
The Super Rugby match between the Rebels and Force on pay TV received just 130,000 national viewers.
On Sunday the NRL match-up on Nine between the Knights and Bulldogs received a metro city audience of 474,000 viewers, minus Melbourne and Adelaide.
One’s coverage of the Malaysian Grand Prix performed well. It received 442,000 viewers across all five capital cities, and was the 19th most watched program of the day. This builds on the successful performance of the Australian Grand Prix on Ten last weekend.
Despite the AFL having just one game on over the weekend it was big hit, on both free-to-air TV and pay TV.
The NRL continues to be strong, with Monday night football on Fox Sports a particular highlight. Super Rugby viewing figures continue to struggle, not to mention the A-League.
No pay TV ratings for Sunday (March 25) are available at the moment.
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