Seven clocks up massive audiences during Tokyo Olympics

Seven West Media has recorded huge success by drawing record-breaking audiences across its platforms including on TV and streaming services.

Australia 4x100m medley relay gold medal winners at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre. Picture: Adam Head

Australians have lapped up the nation’s incredible success at the Tokyo Olympics by tuning into more than 4.6 billion minutes on Seven’s streaming service, 7plus.

Since the opening ceremony on July 23, the fortnight of action delivered Australia 17 gold, 7 silver and 22 bronze medals and was a massive success for Seven.

Its broadcast audience was up 77 per cent in the capital cities compared to the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Registrations to the 7plus streaming service also soared, climbing from 6.4 million users just days before the Games began to 9.17 million users by the end of Olympics.

This was an increase of 43 per cent which will significantly help Seven in the wake of the Games, enabling them to boost its appeal to advertisers as it now has a big database of users’ email addresses, a requirement for viewers when signing up to the service.

Seven’s chief executive officer James Warburton previously predicted 7plus user numbers would grow to 10 million by the end of the Olympic period which includes the Beijing Winter Olympics in February next year.

Since the opening ceremony, 19.95 million Australians tuned into the Olympics and of those 40 per cent watched across both Channel 7 and 7plus.

Seven West Media chief revenue officer and director of Olympics, Kurt Burnette, said the audience numbers during the past fortnight “exceeded all expectations” on both Seven, sister channel 7mate and its streaming services.

Australia’s men’s four rowing team wins gold at the Tokyo Olympics. Picture: Channel 7

“Our exclusive, live and free coverage of Seven and 7plus was unmissable entertainment for millions, as our Aussie athletes equalled their best Olympic performance ever and provided Australians with much-need inspiration,” he said.

“For the brands involved with the delivery of the Games across the screens of Seven it represented the largest and most address-able marketing platform ever created.”

The Olympic events that drew the highest audiences included the men’s 100m semi-final (2.25 million viewers across the five major metropolitan cities ­including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth), men’s 800m athletics final (2.31 million), women’s 100m hurdles heat (2.24 million), men’s 800m semi-final (2.23 million) and men’s high jump final (2.22 ­million).

Other popular events included the men’s hockey team’s silver-winning performance, women’s 3000m steeplechase, men’s decathlon heat and men’s 400m hurdles semi final.

During the Games, Seven provided more than 40 Olympic channels on its streaming services, making it the biggest digital event in the nation’s history.

The opening ceremony remains the most-watched television program of the year with 3.85 million nationally across broadcast video on demand (BVOD) and seven-day catch-up audiences.

Seven’s Olympics coverage has also resulted in big boosts in audience numbers to its 6pm news bulletins, 5.30pm game show The Chase with new host Larry Emdur, and breakfast program Sunrise, hosted by David Koch and Natalie Barr.

Mr Burnette said the network’s Olympics success was a huge effort from many people across the business.

“The success of our innovative coverage is testament to the incredible people we have hired behind the scenes and on screen, bringing must-watch moments to viewers,” Mr Burnette said.

“From our exceptional hosts and commentary teams to the excellent commentary teams and to the excellent production and operations teams across broadcast and digital, everyone worked together to deliver a world-class experience.”