TVNZ’S ratings heartbreak
Will viewers fall in love with four new seasons of Love Island? Mediaworks desperately needs them to, but reality romance can be fleeting.
The broadcaster is on a mission to find love, money and ratings with a new deal to import three series of the Love Island franchise and make a local version. It stole the popular series from TVNZ, which had heralded the show as one of its most successful buys.
Now, TVNZ’S all alone and Three’s owner, Mediaworks, appears to be betting all or nothing on reality romance. Many viewers, of course, will be calling this dating obsession a new low for TV. And while they’re probably right, some of these shows have proven to be a ratings saviour.
The stations have been playing dating games for a long time, in an attempt to lure a younger audience.
Mediaworks has taken that dating strategy to the next level, while TVNZ is undoubtedly scrambling to find the next big thing. Insiders say its local alternative, Heartbreak Island ,is losing the ratings game.
Making successful television is a gamble. Pundits, such as former Heartbreak Island contestant Harry Jowsey reckon reality television thrives on sex, scandal and marketing. It’s all about finding the right people at the right time.
Programmes like this either hit it off at First Sight, or, like Heartbreak Island and the long gone Bachelor, slowly decompose like one of Jordan Mauger’s discarded roses.
Much was made about the success of Love Island last year. TVNZ said the Australian and British versions, screened on TVNZ Ondemand, attracted more than 4.1 million streams, making the shows one of the biggest success stories for the platform. Of the top three streamed shows, Love Island series took two spots. Shortland Street took the other.
Its digital team called the show one of its biggest accomplishments of 2018. Despite losing its golden goose to Three, a spokeswoman for TVNZ said it wasn’t worried. ‘‘Love Island is not the only contributor to TVNZ Ondemand’s success,’’ she said.
‘‘We established a strong audience for the programme and we’re proud of that achievement. We’re continuing that momentum this year with more titles joining Ondemand every month.’’
Attempting to capitalise on the international phenomenon, TVNZ commissioned local spinoff Heartbreak Island ,a loosely fitted copy of the UK juggernaut, made for a New Zealand audience on a Fijian island.
TVNZ’S unique creation doesn’t seem to have paid off. The network isn’t releasing broadcast ratings data for the show, which was pushed back to 9.30pm on TVNZ 2. Season one screened after Shortland Street.
It did say, however, that about 8000 people stream each episode on the day it’s released.
Meanwhile, Mediaworks is celebrating another television import: Married at First Sight Australia.
The tried and tested programme, is proving to be the talk of the town. Even though it’s based offshore, Mediaworks says it has been popular with Kiwis.
In its target demographic of 25 to 54-year-olds, Mediaworks says MAFS Australia is slaying the ratings game.
‘‘We’re four weeks into season six of Married at First Sight Australia and viewing on Threenow is up 22 per cent versus season five, with close to 1.5 million streams so far,’’ a spokeswoman says. On television, the network says it gets on average 150,000 viewers aged 25 to 54 each episode.
Mediaworks head of content
Andrew Szusterman says MAFS
Australia is having a ‘‘zeitgeist effect’’ this season.
‘‘Viewers are determined to stay up to date to participate with the very real ‘water cooler’ effect that is sweeping homes and workplaces. Our expectation is that ratings will continue to increase as the season continues.’’
Any way you look at it,
Married at First Sight has been a stunning ratings success while its nearest counterpart, locally produced Heartbreak Island, has been all but forgotten.
TVNZ was hoping to grow its digital audience, premiering
Heartbreak Island on its website rather than on television. It’s the same technique it used for Love Island.
Plenty of television autopsies have been carried out on the programme, including by its own alumni.
Season one winner Harry Jowsey thinks the show has the potential to attract massive audiences, but marketing and talent issues hold it back.
He told Stuff that this year’s contestants were, simply, too boring.
‘‘There’s also a few boring personalities on there, and it’s hard to be invested. I know our year was pretty boring too but we had some big characters,’’ he said.
‘‘They’re also being a lot more reserved this year. I know there is way more sex and way more juice, but they’re being reserved by just implying people are having sex.’’
Between talent issues, a ‘‘juice’’ shortage and perceived marketing restrictions, it seems TVNZ has no easy fix. Maybe there is no way to fix the state broadcaster’s broken reality TV heart.
By its sheer quantity of dating shows, Three will conquer the romance market.
What, then, for TVNZ? Without its strongest performing streaming shows, its online endeavour will suffer. Ondemand has been a key focus of the company, with new roles, budgets, marketing campaigns and developers brought on to boost the website.
But content is king, and TVNZ will need to recover from its dash with romance. It’s time to find a new love.
Many viewers will be calling this dating obsession a new low for TV. And while they’re probably right, some of these shows have proven to be a ratings saviour.