Channel 10’s new breakfast show records 44 Sydney viewers in dismal debut
Channel 10’s new breakfast bulletin has recorded just 44 viewers in Sydney, one of the most dismal ratings in Australian TV history.
Channel 10’s attempt to enter the breakfast market has gotten off to a record low start, with its new morning program attracting a dismal 44 viewers in Sydney.
In what could potentially be the worst ever ratings in Australian TV history, 10 News First: Breakfast debuted at 8am last Monday and according to The Australian, it recorded just 44 viewers in Sydney on its second day on-air and only reached a further 224 viewers in Perth, per official OzTAM data.
The new program fills a 30-minute slot previously held by Studio 10, which now kicks off at 8.30am.
The show, helmed by Lachlan Kennedy in Sydney from Monday to Wednesday and Natasha Exelby in Melbourne on Thursday and Friday, recorded an average of just 17,000 viewers in its first five days across the five major metropolitan cities.
Despite the low ratings, a Ten spokesperson told the publication that the network was “happy” with its opening week.
“Network 10 is happy with the launch of the 10 News First: Breakfast,” she said. “It has lifted the 2022 timeslot average by 13 per cent in its first week.”
The breakfast TV market is incredibly competitive, with Seven’s Sunrise and Nine’s Today both airing from 5.30am with loyal viewers spanning decades, while ABC News Breakfast has emerged to compete with them in recent years.
On Thursday, June 30, Sunrise recorded an average of 199,000 viewers across the five metro cities, while Today notched 194,000. ABC News Breakfast came in at 121,000.
Channel 7 won the ratings war in 2021, with Sunrise securing top breakfast show for the 18th year in a row despite Today hot on its tail during some weeks of the year.
The show marks Ten’s second attempt at a breakfast-marketed program, after the now-defunct Wake Up aired in 2013 with Exelby, Natarsha Belling and James Mathison on-board as co-hosts.
It was axed after six months on-air.
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