When The 1% Club launched on Seven in April 2023, few could have predicted it would evolve into one of the network’s most valuable prime-time players.
In its debut season, the UK-born quiz show quickly cemented its place as the top-performing new entertainment series of 2023 across all networks.
It also became Seven’s highest-rating new launch since The Voice premiered on the network in 2021.
But the real surprise? The show has only grown stronger.
Now in its third season, The 1% Club is outperforming its launch year, a rarity in television. According to Seven, the series is up 12% year-on-year, and recent episodes have pulled in the highest numbers since November 2023.
That kind of momentum is gold in the current content climate, particularly for a Sunday night slot.
Majella Hay, Seven’s Director of Content, Unscripted, attributes the show’s sustained success to the strength of the format and its unique mental appeal.
“Well, the first reason is that it’s a great format,” Hay told Mediaweek.
“I think its premise makes viewers think about how they think, which makes it very accessible and gives it a slightly old-school community viewing feel.”
Majella Hay
From passive viewer to active player
Unlike traditional quiz formats, The 1% Club doesn’t rely on general knowledge.
Instead, it rewards logic, observation and lateral thinking, which helps open the show up to a broader, more inclusive audience. “It also has a multi-generational outlook,” said Hay.
“You can get a question wrong and not think, ‘Oh, my goodness, I didn’t know that.’ It’s more that, ‘I didn’t work that out.’ That’s a much more inclusive experience.”
The play-along nature of the show has been a key part of its stickiness, she added.
“Because of the nature of the questions, you often go back and forth between being a viewer and a player. When you’re not playing, you’re laughing, so that then becomes this wonderful entertainment experience.”
Jim Jefferies: comedy edge, broad appeal
Comedian Jim Jefferies hosts the Australian version, and Hay believes he brings a distinctive point of difference.
“Well, he runs up to the line, but he doesn’t cross it,” she said. “A lot of Jim’s jokes are like those you see in a Disney movie. Your young child takes something different out of it than you do.”
His irreverent delivery is carefully managed to appeal to the show’s broad demographic.
“We let him go, in that we make sure that all the bits we love about Jim are there in the show. But we also know that we have a broad audience watching, so we do have to tread the line a little bit,” she said.
A magnet for brand alignment
The show is increasingly finding its way onto advertiser schedules as well.
Hay said The 1% Club is now firmly on the radar for brands, partly due to the dual presence of the UK and Australian versions. “Mainly because of the success of the UK show, and because, if they want to align with the brand, they’ve now got so many more episodes to do that.”
The combined volume of UK and local episodes offers flexibility to brands seeking deeper integration.
“We’re considering decisions for 2026 and 2027, so having something that performs this well, without requiring a specific day, gives programmers the flexibility they need.”
Streaming lift and repeat value
It’s not just linear where The 1% Club is making its mark. The show is also pulling strong numbers on 7plus, with both UK and local episodes attracting repeat viewers.
“Whether that’s people just wanting not to tell the rest of the family they’ve already seen the episode and pretend they’re really smart, or they’re just, you know, really, really into The 1% Club, I’m not sure,” Hay laughed.
“But it ticks both of those boxes for us: both the linear and the streaming service. People know where to find The 1% Club if they want their seven o’clock experience on a Sunday night. But they also know where to find it if they’re watching later.”
What’s next: tweaks, specials and staying fresh
Heading into its fourth season, Seven and BBC Studios (which produces the Australian version) are focused on amplifying what’s working. While Jefferies will return as host, the team is subtly evolving the format through new specials and adjusted question styles.
“BBC Studios makes the format here for us in Australia, and they are incredibly good at adapting, especially the questions, so that they don’t feel stale or repetitive,” said Hay.
“We tried some specials in series three that worked incredibly well for us, ‘Ladies Night’ showcased a wonderful side of Jim that we hadn’t seen before.”
Another upcoming special, ‘Singles Night’, will see Jefferies step into matchmaker territory.
“We want to keep the show feeling fresh and give Jim some fresh stuff to play with. Especially because we’ve got the UK taping market as well, and those streaming and repeat numbers are so high.”
Thinking about thinking
At its core, The 1% Club thrives because it offers viewers more than just trivia, it challenges them to engage differently. That cognitive curiosity has proven to be both commercially and creatively rewarding.
“It’s just changing the way people think,” said Hay. “We all hope for year-on-year growth. To get that on a game show that we can place anywhere in the schedule is just an added bonus.”