Footy Show trumps Front Bar in grand final battle
THE Footy Show and Front Bar have squared off for the final time in 2018, with Eddie and Sam’s high-octane, stadium finale a stark contrast to The Front Bar’s low-key format. So who came out on top?
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THE Footy Show has gone out with a bang with the Grand Final edition beating Grand Final episode of The Front Bar in Melbourne last night.
The Grand Final Footy Show, hosted by Eddie McGuire and Sam Newman averaged 247,000 viewers in Melbourne.
The expanded two-hour edition of The Front Bar, with Mick Molloy, Andy Maher and Sam Pang, averaged 229,000.
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The Grand Final Footy show also scored better than The Bachelor Australia (219,000) in Melbourne.
The result will be a shot in the arm for Channel 9 as well as McGuire and Newman with negotiations continuing between the network and McGuire’s JAM TV about the future of the show.
Newman made an emotional speech at the start of last week’s edition of The Footy Show saying he would likely quit television if the program didn’t go ahead in 2019.
The Footy Show got a jump on The Front Bar by starting at 7.30pm. The Front Bar screened from 8.30pm.
The two football programs were completely different in style. The Grand Final Footy Show, which also featured Brendan Fevola, Shane Crawford, Billy Brownless and Chris Judd was staged at Rod Laver Arena.
Performers included Carrie Underwood, Vance Joy, The Living End and Jon Stevens.
The Grand Final edition of The Front Bar kept its usual low-key format with guests including Matthew Richardson, Stevie Johnson, Santo Cilauro, Ryan Fitzgerald and Gillon McLachlan.
McGuire hasn’t given up hope of The Footy Show returning next year but has acknowledged that Nine is yet to make any firm decision on the program’s future.
In Adelaide The Grand Final Footy Show averaged 45,000 viewers to The Front Bar’s 43,000. The Front Bar triumphed in Perth with 65,000 viewers versus 49,000 for The Grand Final Footy Show.
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