The biggest surprise from the Seven Upfront was the reveal at the end of the Upfront event from director of network programming Angus Ross that Seven had secured a deal with Fremantle to broadcast Australian Idol.

Both Ross and Seven chief revenue officer and director of the Olympics Kurt Burnette see big upsides from Seven schedule for audiences and advertisers.

The return of the singing show from hibernation won’t be happening in 2021 though, Seven has commissioned the series for 2022.

Angus Ross

Is there room for The Voice, Australia’s Got Talent and Australian Idol on the one channel?

“It gives us control over three of the most powerful formats in the world,” Ross told Mediaweek. “I like having an armoury of formats like that to roll out when we want to.”

Ross said there were no concerns about the amount of talent available in Australia to provide performers for all three formats. “Since we have called for performers for The Voice, ITV has been inundated with the casting and some of the talent has been incredible. We are very confident in all those formats and we will roll them out as we see fit.”

An upside of having all these popular formats is that it shuts out Nine and 10 from commissioning one of the formats. “Large scale entertainment and variety formats are very important to the schedule. You just can’t be running scripted reality shows all year long, you have to have variety and we now control the here biggest formats in that space.”

Ross pulled the trigger quickly on recommissioning Screentime’s SAS Australia, announcing its return at the Upfront just after the first two episodes screened. “The numbers for that second episode 16-39 and 25-54 went higher, so it was a bit of a no-brainer. It falls into our strategy of commissioning proven, power formats. It is an established, proven format from Channel 4 in the UK. Even though they are a very different network to us, we thought it had potential. It had a troubled birth because of Covid. We started filming in New Zealand and we had to abandon that. Thanks to the work of Screentime and our executives we have still managed to get it on air. It is delivering for us in spades.

“SAS Australia is also on track to become our biggest show ever on 7plus after 150,000 extra viewers watched the Monday night episode.” That figure should be bigger now in the few days since we spoke with Ross.

Seven is anticipating less disruption to its 2021 schedule as shows originally slotted for 2020 will finally be ready. “By mid-December we will have banked all of our first-half programming up until the Tokyo Olympics. We have finished Holey Moley and we are shooting Farmer Wants a Wife now and by December we will have also finished Big Brother and Ultimate Tag.

“We don’t want a repeat of what happened this year when we lost three formats that were supposed to go to air. In 2021 we will have all of the rounds in the chamber, so look out!”

Advertising already rolling in for 2021

Kurt Burnette

Seven is not only hoping its viewers will be patient when it comes to finally watching the formats that have been promised for some time. The advertisers too have been waiting for their sponsorships to be activated onscreen.

“All of the Tokyo Olympics brands have been waiting and the vast majority are still committed,” Kurt Burnette told Mediaweek. “We now have over $85m in forward investments for 2021 before we even factor in the AFL market. That is money committed to the Olympics and the major franchises. We have already had some re-commit to SAS Australia too for 2021.”

Burnette said being part of the delayed Olympics is a strong statement from a brand. “If you are going to build a brand with a message to connect to Australians coming out of the most horrendous year on record – a event about patriotism and bring the world together – is there a finer moment to be a part of? That is the sort of discussions we are having with brands who are excited to be a part of it.”

Burnette said the 2021 Seven schedule is perhaps its best since the network launched the Athens Olympics of 2004. “Back then we were launching programs like Dancing with the Stars and had programs like Desperate Housewives and Lost. I’m not suggesting we will do the sorts of numbers those shows had, but we are now offering one of the biggest shake-ups in many years.

“What that means is growth opportunities for brands.”

Seven’s ratings have not been trailing Nine by much and a good result in Week 43 would let them boast a tied TV ratings scoreboard, and that’s just what happened.

The clash between Richmond and Geelong saw the biggest AFL TV crowd in four years and set the bar high for the biggest audience of 2020. It will take a special Rugby League State of Origin turnout to beat Seven’s 3.812m average audience from Saturday night.

Seven confirmed on Sunday it had won its 17th week of the 2020 ratings survey year, levelling the score with Nine, with one week drawn. Commercial audience shares for the survey year to date are also both level between Seven and Nine at 37.6 per cent.

The win comes after the first ever prime time AFL Grand Final, which secured Seven a record-setting 76.0 per cent network commercial share, the highest ever recorded by OzTAM, and the launch of SAS Australia, which debuted as the #1 entertainment show on Monday and Tuesday.

As Seven detailed in its Upfront presentation, from June 2020, Seven has led in total people and all key demographics, including 25-54s and 16-39s. The success of Big Brother, Farmer Wants A Wife and now SAS Australia, combined with the AFL and Seven’s regular ratings winners 7NEWS, Sunrise, The Chase, Home and Away, Better Homes and Gardens and The Morning Show, delivered these results.

Angus Ross,

Angus Ross, Seven’s director of programming, said: “We lead every key demo since June, a huge turnaround from the first half of the year. The success of our new prime time tentpole strategy, with Big Brother, Farmer and now SAS, has proven hugely successful for us. Add to that the AFL, which has seen significant year on year ratings growth, and our unbeatable content spine, and it’s clear that momentum is with us at Seven. It’s going to be a tight race to the end of the year.

“We’ve been able to level the score in 2020 with a schedule significantly impacted by Cvid-19 – we’re down two and a half prime time tentpoles and lost the AFL for two months. Imagine what we’ll be able to do in 2021 with a fully loaded prime time schedule, a full AFL season and of course, the Tokyo Olympics – set to be the biggest event ever.”

Read More: Seven reveals 2021 schedule: Delayed programs finally arrive

Over the next five months, an exclusive IMAA member only webinar series will be held with each of the IMAA’s media owner partners especially tailored for independent media agencies to inspire and inform members.

Each webinar will focus on specific issues, trends and innovations, business updates and looking ahead to 2021.

For example, the Foxtel webinar looked at the US election with Annelise Nielsen, live from the campaign trail in Miami, while Foxtel CEO Mark Frain discussed what is coming up in 2021.

Verizon Media will also look ahead at the opportunities to supercharge brands in 2021 and unveil some exclusive product reviews.

Other media owners participating include ARN, EMX, Facebook, JCDecaux, Kargo, News Corp, Network 10, Nine Network, Nova Entertainment, oOh!media, QMS, Quantcast, SCA, Seven Network, Shopper Media, Spotify, Val Morgan and VMO.

Foxtel CEO, Mark Frain, said: “The collective push and support that the IMAA champions is something that Foxtel Media is hugely supportive of. We also believe that we have an important role to play in empowering our partners across the IMAA with a depth of insight into our audiences and direct access to the breadth of our talent. The Insights and Innovation webinar series is a fantastic initiative, and we were proud to help the IMAA launch this to the market.”

Verizon Media managing director ANZ, Paul Sigaloff, said: “There has never been a more important time to bring the industry together, connect with and inspire one another. The IMAA plays a pivotal role in doing that. As a founding member, we’re proud to support the Insights and Innovation series building on Verizon Media’s commitment to look after the people within the media industry at large. We are focused on being good partners, being good members of the advertising industry and good citizens to society. Our hope is to share insights and ideas that inspire the indies and build on their digital skill set.”

News Corp Australia managing director of national sales, Lou Barrett, said: “The IMAA plays a very important role in our industry, they are incredibly collaborative and deliver real value. Supporting the IMAA’s Insights and Innovation series underlines our commitment to clients and agencies to provide them with invaluable insights and new ideas to help grow their business.”

IMAA general manager, Sam Buchanan, added: “Our Covid-19 series of webinars for members, covering areas such as legal, HR and the economic outlook, have been really well received by members. Given we are still operating with COVID restrictions, we wanted to give each of our media partners a unique opportunity to engage with members. The ‘Insights and Innovation’ series will continue weekly into the new year and we’ve had a fantastic response so far.”

The Channel 7 Telethon, which was broadcast LIVE from the Crown Theatre Perth over two special nights (Saturday 24 October and Sunday 25 October), had all the elements that Telethon is renowned for – community, family entertainment and a reason to be thankful.

7NEWS presenters and Telethon hosts Basil Zempilas, Susannah Carr, Rick Ardon, Tim McMillan, Angela Tsun, Adrian Barich and Amelia Broun were joined by comedian and Kath & Kim star Peter Rowsthorn, The West Australian’s Jenna Clarke and Sunrise’s Matt Tinney – as they presented the all-new Telethon. Unlike anything viewers had seen before, the 53rd Telethon included a lot of surprises including a new set, in a new location with new segments including the Kids Couch with hard hitting questions from our Student Ambassadors.

The two nights of non-stop action featured WA’s favourite TV, sports and music stars. There were performances by WA local Samantha Jade, Casey Donovan and the cast of the West End smash-hit musical We Will Rock You, Ian Kenny (Birds of Tokyo) and the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra, actor and musician Joel Jackson, Indigenous artist Gina Williams, as well as the Inneka string quartet.

Telethon 2020: Kate Walsh, Julie Bishop and Nat Fyfe speak to host Basil Zempilas

A roll call of Western Australia’s biggest names turned out for Telethon including WA Premier Mark McGowan, Hollywood actress Kate Walsh, world boxing champion Danny Green, YouTube sensations The Rybka Twins, Big Brother housemates Ian, Hannah and Casey, Paralympian Brant Garvey, West Coast Eagles favourite Nic Naitanui, Fremantle Dockers captain and dual Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe, as well as Xavier, Juelz and Pete from Hit 92.9FM and Clairsy, Matt and Kymba from Mix 94.5FM. Senator Mathias Cormann and Perth favourite Julie Bishop were also on hand to lend their support.

Telethon was also flooded with messages of support from Aussies around the globe including those from actor and Founder of Adopt Change, Deborra-Lee Furness, Olympic champion Ian Thorpe, international model Jessica Gomes, Formula 1 driver Daniel Riccardo, comedian Rove McManus, artists Jessica Mauboy and Guy Sebastian, as well as Channel Seven stars.

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Top Photo: Richard Goyder, Kerry Stokes and WA Premier Mark McGowan (Source: The West Australian)

Singles

24kGoldn spends a fourth week at #1 with Mood featuring Iann Dior.

The only change to the top 10 is at #10 with Ritt Momney moving up two places after five weeks on the chart with Put Your Records On. Corinne Bailey Rae’s version of the song peaked at #30 in Australia in April 2006. This is Momney’s first time with a top 10.

The sole new entry into the top 50 comes at #14 – Justin Bieber & Benny Blanco with Lonely. This marks Bieber’s fifth time in the top 50 this year. Bieber’s latest chart success comes as YouTube Originals announced a release date for Justin Bieber: Next Chapter, a follow-up to the hit 10-episode docuseries, Justin Bieber: Seasons, which followed the recording of his album, Changes: Next Chapter. The new doco will premiere on October 30.

Albums

(L to R) Pat Handlin – VP, A&R, ANZ; Jen Fontaine – management; Jules Sebastian; Guy Sebastian; Denis Handlin; Ivan and Nellie Sebastian – Guy’s parents)

A new #1 is the third chart-topping album for Guy Sebastian. T.R.U.T.H. is his ninth studio album and is the follow-up to Conscious which peaked at #4 in 2017. The new album has been home to the singles Before I Go (#43 January 2019), Standing With You (#10 July 2020) and the 2019 ARIA Song Of The Year winner Choir (#7 July 2019). Sebastian’s former chart toppers were Just As I Am in 2003 and Armageddon in 2012.

Upon hearing the news, Guy Sebastian told ARIA, “What a journey it’s been. I still can’t believe that one of the most personal albums I have released has resonated with so many people.

“It has been quite an extraordinary year for everyone, and I am really humbled that these songs have connected and helped along the way. Thank you to Denis Handlin, Pat Handlin and my Sony Music family as well as Jen Fontaine and her Private Idaho team and everyone who has supported this album. I am forever grateful.”

Dan Rosen, CEO of ARIA, said, “A huge congratulations to Guy Sebastian on his return to the top of the ARIA Chart. He continues to deliver incredible music, and well into his second decade in the industry he is at the height of his powers. It has all been done with hard work, creativity and talent. He is always one to give back, as showed last year hosting our ARIA Awards. I am absolutely thrilled to see him back at #1.”

#1 T. R. U. T. H. is the 13th Australian album to hit #1 on the ARIA Charts in 2020.

There were five other albums new to the chart this week:

Eagles

#4: Skegss with 50 Push Ups For A Dollar. The second album from the Byron Bay garage rock trio Skegss secures a second top 10 entry. The band’s debut My Own Mess peaked at #2 in September 2018.
#10: Powderfinger with Odyssey Number Five: 20th Anniversary Edition. The band’s rerelease of their #1 album from 2000 is back in the chart again after arriving at #2 in September when it was reissued.
#22: Eagles with Live From The Forum MMXVIII. Recorded at The Forum in Los Angeles over three nights in September 2018, this is the band’s first release to feature new members Deacon Frey (son of the late Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey) and country artist Vince Gill along with Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit. While the Eagles previous live album Hell Freezes Over peaked at #23 in 1994, it did brilliant business in this country as a DVD release where it achieved 20x platinum status. A subsequent Live from Melbourne DVD in 2005 is 13x times platinum.
#23: BTS with Skool Luv Affair. A busy 2020 for the K-pop superstars with their third album chart entry for the rerelease if their second EP from 2014.
#28 Angus Gill & Seasons of Change with 3 Minute Movie. Golden Guitar nominated singer/songwriter and producer Angus Gill teams up with the members of Paul Kelly’s band for this release.
#32 Matt Beminger with Serpentine Prison. The debut full-length solo release for The National’s front man was recorded over 14 days with legendary producer, musician and songwriter Booker T. Jones.

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However, after Saturday night’s AFL night Grand Final, Seven pushed away and ended up with a winning network share of 35.1%. That was the second-best network weekly share of the year after Nine posted a 40.1% share during the Australian Open tennis in January.

More on Seven’s AFL stats here.

Seven Week 43

Primary share: 27.3% (20.7%)
Network share: 35.1% (30.0%)
Multichannels: 7TWO 2.9% (3.3%) 7mate 3.0% (4.1%) 7flix 1.9% (1.9%)

The network posted its best network and primary channel shares of the year.

The AFL Grand Final national audience of 3,812,000 was the biggest in four years. The metro audience of 2,979,000 was up 36% year-on-year.

Seven’s next best audience not connected with pre or post-match coverage on Saturday was the Saturday 6pm News on 1.017m.

Best non-news and non-sport offering was the first week of SAS Australia with the launch episode on 834,000 Monday and the second episode on 795,000 Tuesday.

The AFL Brownlow Medal coverage on the first night of Week 43 had 654,000 watching.

Home and Away averaged 522,000 and The Chase at 5.30pm was on 504,000.

Nine Week 43

Primary share: 17.4% (19.7%)
Network share: 25.3% (27.5)%
Multichannels: GO! 2.4% (2.4%) Gem 2.6% (2.3%) 9Life 1.9% (1.8%) 9Rush 1.0% (1.2%)

Nine will get its NRL Grand Final boost in the Week 44 data. Meantime its best this week was The Block Sunday with 1.008/1.079m. The other three episodes from Monday to Wednesday were on, in order, 785,000; 793,000 and 808,000.

A Current Affair averaged 694,000 and 60 Minutes was on 519,000.

Next best was the surprise hit The Trump Show with 486,000. 

10 Week 43

Primary share 10.3% (11.3%)
Network share: 16.1% (17.5%)
Multichannels: Bold 3.2% (3.8%) Peach 2.2% (2.3%) Shake 0.4% (0.4%)

Have You Been Paying Attention? again led the way with 735,000 on Monday.

Coverage of the Bathurst 1000 Supercars Race was next best on 671,000 on Sunday afternoon.

Gogglebox was on 630,000 on Thursday. The week’s two episodes of The Bachelorette were on 463,000 on Wednesday and a slighter higher 500,000 on Thursday.

Junior MasterChef’s best was 498,000 on Sunday followed by 454,000 Monday and then 470,000 Tuesday.

SBS Week 43

Primary share: 4.2% (4.4%)
Network share: 7.0% (7.5%)
Multichannels: Viceland 1.1% (1.2%) Food 0.8% (0.8%) NITV 0.1% (0.1%) World Movies 0.8% (0.9%)

Three shows made it to 200,000 and above this week:

Walking Britain’s Roman Roads 225,000
Every Family Has a Secret (Repeat) 217,000
Australia Come Fly With Me 200,000 

* Figures in brackets are Week 42 shares.

Primetime News
Nine News 1,106,000
Seven News 1,078,000
ABC News 636,000
10 News First 321,000/247,000
SBS World News 190,000

Daily current affairs
Insiders 406,000
The Project 328,000/394,000

Breakfast TV
Sunrise 243,000
Today 219,000
News Breakfast 171,000

Late night news
Nine News Late 526,000

Sunday TV

Seven: Up against the NRL Grand Final, Seven started with Billion Dollar Cruises: All at Sea which did a respectable 454,000.

The Sunday movie was 2018’s A Star is Born which was on 284,000. 

Nine: The NRL match that saw the Storm hold off a second half Panthers resurgence had 2,103,000 watching across metro markets. Nine has calculated that the audience was up 20%+ year on year in key demos. The program was of course also #1 in all demos on Sunday and gave Nine a huge lead to start off the week.

Wins between now and the end of survey just five weeks away are crucial for boasting rights after Seven drew level last week. See separate item today.

The NRL Grand Final regional audience of 863,000 pushed the national average audience for the match to 2,967,000. That trailed the AFL Saturday crowd of 3.812m significantly.

10: An audience of 394,000 saw guest Jeff Kennett laying into Project co-host Peter van Onselen for suggesting Dan Andrews was not running a communist state. “Well what would you call it?” asked Kennett. “Over the top,” van Onselen replied before Kennett got stuck in.

10 then screened the most recent Graham Norton Show with 218,000 watching.

10 will be looking for a recovery this week as the two nights of football finals have been brutal with network shares of 6.3% and 10.9%.

ABC: It will be hard to improve on last night’s Restoration Australia which detailed the amazing work undertaken on a classic homestead just outside of Wellington in regional NSW. The audience was 494,000 which ranked the program #2 behind only the NRL Grand Final.

The series final of Grantchester then did 431,000 which also ranked #2 behind the football.