Channel 7 breakfast shows lag behind Channel 9 in TV ratings

ALARM bells will be going off at Channel 7 about the rating performances of its morning programs, with Nine’s rival shows coming out on top.

SHOULD alarm bells be going off at Channel 7 about the rating performance of Sunrise and The Morning Show?

That is the question TV experts are asking after Nine’s Today and Today Extra have been gaining ground on their rivals.

The Morning Show hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies are in a fierce battle with Today Extra.

Last week Today Extra, with Sonia Kruger and David Campbell, averaged 132,000 viewers for the week versus The Morning Show’s 129,000.

It is the first time in nine years that any Nine morning program, including Mornings with Kerrie-Anne, has beaten Seven’s Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies.

Campbell and Today Extra executive producer Natasha Daran took to Twitter on the weekend to announce the victory.

Today Extra’s David Campbell and Sonia Kruger have reason to smile.

But experts say at least part of that upset win is due to softer figures for Seven’s Sunrise in its $150 million breakfast war with Nine’s Today show.

Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson are starting to get the upper hand over David Koch and Sam Armytage.

Today has been on the rise over the past month. Last Thursday it beat Sunrise 355,897 viewers to 285,355. That was its best winning margin in three years.

Other days have been much closer but a trend seems to be emerging.

Sunrise has added Edwina Bartholomew to its studio line-up this year and also spent big on a new set.

Last month, Armytage was heavily criticised for her Sunrise interview with Sex and the City star Kristin Davis. In a dismal segment, Davis was forced to recreate a scene from the hit show. Davis later took to Twitter to express her disappointment.

“Sunrise is on a little bit of a slide — there is no question,” Fusion Strategy’s Steve Allen says. “Today is trending up, though it is bouncing around quite a bit.

“It would appear that Today has got the measure of Sunrise at the moment. Is that giving Today Extra a boost? Probably.”

The new-look Sunrise team includes Natalie Barr, Samantha Armytage, David Koch, Mark Beretta and Edwina Bartholomew. Picture: Simon Bullard.

Nine rebranded Kruger and Campbell’s Mornings as Today Extra at the start of this year. It followed the re-signing of Stefanovic to Todayon a multi-million dollar contract.

Sunrise used to have a substantial buffer — sometimes upwards of 100,000 viewers nationally — over its competitor. Now that gap has vanished.

At the end of 2015 Sydney, Today led Sunrise by just 5000 viewers — 99,000 to 94,000. In Melbourne, Sunrise had the narrowest of edges — 90,000 to 87,000.

It was dead even in Brisbane — 72,000 apiece. Sunrise had the upper hand in Adelaide and Perth.

Now the tables have turned.

Channel 9's Today show cast Steve Jacobs, Richard Wilkins, Karl Stefanovic, Lisa Wilkinson, Tim Gilbert and Sylvia Jeffreys. Picture: Supplied

“This is such a competitive area and tens of millions of dollars are at stake,” Allan says.

“Seven wouldn’t be panicking but they would unquestionably be looking at how they can rejig Sunrise to meet the challenge from Today.

“It has taken a long time for Today to become a serious challenger but it would appear that they are there now.

“I wouldn’t count The Morning Show out but if Today Extra holds its audience or gets another lift this week it is onto something.”

Daran knows there is more work to do.

“I’m delighted with last week’s numbers and extremely proud of our hosts and staff, all of whom work tirelessly to put the show to air,” Daran says.

“It’s a solid start to the year, which is satisfying, but there’s a long road ahead.”