Seven Networks supercharges TV show line-up in ratings battle against Nine

Seven Network is looking to reclaim its television ratings crown from Nine next year with a bumper line-up of shows.

Holey Moley hosts Matt Shirvington, Rob Riggle and Sonia Kruger. Picture: Supplied.

Seven Network is supercharging its television program line-up with a raft of family-friendly shows including Holey Moley, The Voice and Ultimate Tag, plus new drama series RFDS and loads of sport, in a bid to reclaim its ratings crown next year.

Seven’s boss James Warburton says it has an “extremely disruptive schedule and a lot of new content” for 2021, with its new mini golf reality show Holey Moley set to go head-to-head with rival Nine Network’s long-running reality dating show Married At First Sight and Network Ten’s The Amazing Race.

Mr Warburton said Holey Moley, whose premiere this year was delayed because of the coronavirus crisis, is an “extremely family friendly” show, featuring TV host Sonia Kruger and golf legend Greg Norman, that will attract a very different audience to MAFS.

“It’s the No.1 non-scripted show in the US, which has just been commissioned for the third season,” Mr Warburton told The Australian.

Mr Warubrton is laser-focused on rebuilding the Kerry Stokes-controlled TV broadcaster after some wins with reality shows Big Brother, Farmer Wants A Wife and SAS Australia since June as part of his content-led growth strategy.

Seven is just half a point behind Nine in this year’s TV ratings battle, although Nine expects to claim the crown for a second year in a row.

Mr Warburton “absolutely” believes Seven can reclaim the ratings crown in 2021 after its 12-year ratings dominance ended in 2019.

At its first virtual upfront event to unveil its 2021 program line-up to advertisers and media buyers on Wednesday, Seven announced that The Voice, Big Brother, Farmer Wants A Wife, SAS Australia and Australia’s Got Talent will feature prominently in its key evening program line-up.

Seven’s programming boss Angus Ross said it will have half of next year’s shows, including Holey Moley and new series Ultimate Tag “in the can come December, which is important in the current environment”. Holey Moley

It will also have new Australian dramas RFDS, starring Stephen Peacocke and Justine Clarke and Australian Gangster. Plus, international dramas including true crime event series The Pembrokeshire Murders and Around the World in 80 Days, featuring Scottish actor David Tennant.

However, Seven has dumped its new cooking show Plate of Origin, hosted by chefs Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and Manu Feildel, after bombing with viewers recently.

Its long-running competition shows, My Kitchen Rules and House Rules, also won’t return next year, with Mr Ross noting that they would “require reinvention” to return in 2022.

Seven’s sporting line-up looks strong, kicking-off with the AFL, as well as the delayed Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, horseracing and the return of the Supercars. It will also have cricket matches over the non-ratings summer period.

The broadcaster also announced it will also broadcast the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in February 2022. Seven will have the Australian Idol franchise in 2022.

Nine is betting on a raft of reality shows such as Celebrity Apprentice with Lord Alan Sugar, Beauty and the Geek, MAFS, plus family-friendly programs like The Parent Jury and Lego Masters to attract viewers next year.

At its upfront event last month, Nine declared that it expects to secure the TV ratings battle for a second year in a row, thanks to its strong fourth-quarter line-up of shows, including the finale of The Block, NRL grand final and State of Origin, plus music’s ARIA Awards.

Network Ten last week announced it would bring back the bulk of its shows, including MasterChef, Survivor and The Masked Singer next year, plus a few new programs on craft making, dogs and inventors.