10 News+ struggles to reach highs of The Project in first week on-air

Channel 10’s new current affairs program hasn’t managed to reach the highs of its predecessor in its opening week, dropping even further in ratings.

Building a viewership seldom happens overnight, but early signs for Channel 10’s bold new current affairs program aren’t looking great.

10 News+ debuted on Monday, filling the void left after The Project was axed following 16 years on-air.

Helmed by former Seven journalists Amelia Brace and Denham Hitchcock, the show tails the network’s 5pm local bulletins, giving viewers an in-depth report on the day’s biggest stories from 6pm.

When announcing the new program, Paramount Australia’s Vice President News Martin White said the offering was “completely different to anything else in the market.”

And while intrigue bolstered opening night ratings, with an average national broadcast audience of 291,000 tuning in on Monday evening, the show had almost halved its TV viewership by week’s end.

Amelia Brace and Denham Hitchcock co-host 10 News+. Picture: Channel 10

On Tuesday evening, 10 News+ recorded an average of 244,000 viewers, before attracting 205,000 on Wednesday and 159,000 on Thursday. Friday numbers dipped again with an average audience of 152,000.

Numbers were far more promising when factoring in on-demand views, including on 10 Play, with a total reach of 769,000 on Monday, 743,000 on Tuesday, 586,000 on Wednesday, 468,000 on Thursday and 655,000 on Friday.

However, most concerning among Ten executives would be the fall in figures from The Project’s final episode on June 27, in which an average of 478,000 (873,000 total) people tuned in.

The network doubled down on its step to try something new, saying their bid to entice viewers to 10News+ would be a “marathon, not a sprint.”

A spokesperson said the network was “taking a long-term, multi-platform view of audience development.”

“Building a loyal news audience takes time, and we are prepared for gradual growth as audiences discover and connect with our unique approach to news delivery across many platforms,” the statement said.

“10 is fully committed to 10 News+. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We are investing in building a sustainable, quality multi-platform news service that will grow and evolve with our audience’s needs over time.”

Meanwhile, former Project co-host Georgie Tunny officially joined the 10 News+ team from Thursday, just shy of a week since her teary goodbye on the panel.

“I’ve always been a fan of news delivered differently and am excited to be staying with the 10 family,” Tunny said.

“Can’t wait to see where this new chapter leads!”

The journalist, who began her career at the ABC, joined Ten after Carrie Bickmore took extended leave from The Project in early 2022.

Originally published as 10 News+ struggles to reach highs of The Project in first week on-air