Mediaweek has started to analyse the 2024 TV ratings year. To get a grip on where the industry is headed it is instructional to review what was hot in 2023.
As OzTAM prepares to unveil the next step in the move to releasing national Total TV data, we have compiled the list using those parameters.
TV ratings: It’s a sports world
TV ratings were dominated by sport. Just two non-sport programs make the top 20, with the whole top 10 exclusively sport.
There was a little more diversity in the top 50 with 22 of the spots non-sporting events.
The hottest event of the TV year was of course the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 which took six the of top 10 spots. It filled 13 spots in the top 50.
Other sporting events on the chart, in order of popularity, were AFL Grand Final, NRL Grand Final, State of Origin Rugby League, Australian Open and Men’s ODI World Cup.
AFL Grand Final 2023 on Seven
No drama: reality TV is still hot
Reality TV remains a firm favourite. Not that viewers of commercial FTA TV are getting many options in early primetime.
Seven has claimed the TV ratings year, yet the most popular non-sport programs are on Nine. Married at First Sight and The Block both snagged a spot in the top 20. The Endemol Shine Australia-produced dating show managed to secure eight spots in the top 30.
The Block from Cavalier TV’s David Barbour and Julian Cress shows up three times on the chart, including a spot for the popular Sunday night reveal episodes.
The Block 2023
Other reality shows on the chart include Seven’s Farmer Wants a Wife from Fremantle and The Voice from ITV Studios.
Our headline “no drama” is not strictly correct. It should say “not much” drama.
The highest-ranked of just two drama spots on the top 50 is ABC’s UK crime series Vera. Also finding a spot is Seven Studio’s Home and Away, confirming it remains Australia’s most popular drama series.
Other non-sport entries on the chart include the Beyond-produced documentary John Farnham: Finding the Voice and Seven’s coverage of the TV Week Logie Awards.
Seven has the most entries – 25. Nine has 23 spots. The ABC gets two entries – one for Vera and another for its annual New Year’s Eve Midnight Fireworks.
One of the hottest shows of 2023
The 2024 predictor
Let’s go out on a limb and suggest there will be lots of sport making the 2024 Total TV ratings chart.
Making a significant part of the list should be the 2024 Paris Olympics which we believe Nine has the rights for. Just how dominant the Games will be in the rankings could depend on how competitive Australia is in the race for medals.
Otherwise, it should be the usual suspects including MAFS, The Block on Philip Island, Farmer and The Voice. It will be a challenge for any of the limited number of new programs being launched to find a place on the 2024 biggest list.
| Rank | Network | Program Name (Primary Description) | Selected Total (000s) |
| 1 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Aus V Eng | 7,320,500 |
| 2 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Aus V Fra Post Game | 4,516,800 |
| 3 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Aus V Fra | 4,225,200 |
| 4 | Seven | Seven’s AFL: Grand Final: Collingwood V Brisbane | 3,984,300 |
| 5 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Aus V Den | 3,569,000 |
| 6 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Swe V Aus | 3,414,000 |
| 7 | Nine | NRL Grand Final Day – Match | 3,412,800 |
| 8 | Nine | State Of Origin Rugby League Qld V NSW 1st -Match | 3,293,900 |
| 9 | Seven | Seven’s AFL: Grand Final: Presentations | 3,242,000 |
| 10 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Final Esp V Eng | 3,088,400 |
| 11 | Nine | State Of Origin Rugby League Qld V NSW 2nd -Match | 3,044,600 |
| 12 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Aus V Eng Post Game | 2,856,900 |
| 13 | Seven | Seven’s AFL: Grand Final: On The Ground | 2,840,300 |
| 14 | Nine | State Of Origin Rugby League NSW V Qld 3rd -Match | 2,505,400 |
| 15 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Can V Aus | 2,492,800 |
| 16 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Aus V Eng Pre-Game | 2,412,600 |
| 17 | Nine | Married At First Sight – The Final Dinner Party | 2,115,700 |
| 18 | Nine | The Block – Grand Final | 2,114,200 |
| 19 | Nine | Married At First Sight – Finale | 2,098,300 |
| 20 | Nine | 2023 Australian Open D14 – Men’s Final | 1,975,300 |
| 21 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Aus V Ire | 1,959,400 |
| 22 | Nine | Married At First Sight – Wed | 1,931,200 |
| 23 | Nine | Married At First Sight – Sun | 1,929,000 |
| 24 | ABC | New Year’s Eve 2023: Midnight Fireworks | 1,908,800 |
| 25 | Nine | Married At First Sight – Launch | 1,860,200 |
| 26 | Nine | Married At First Sight – Mon | 1,825,200 |
| 27 | Nine | Married At First Sight – Tue | 1,821,500 |
| 28 | Nine | NRL Grand Final Day – Entertainment | 1,785,500 |
| 29 | Nine | Married At First Sight -Thu | 1,752,900 |
| 30 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Aus V Den Pre-Game | 1,712,700 |
| 31 | Seven | John Farnham: Finding The Voice | 1,663,800 |
| 32 | Nine | State Of Origin Rugby League Qld V NSW 1st -Pre Match | 1,653,500 |
| 33 | Nine | ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 -Final -Ind V Aus -S1 | 1,602,700 |
| 34 | Nine | The Block – Sun | 1,575,300 |
| 35 | Nine | State Of Origin Rugby League Qld V NSW 2nd – Pre Match | 1,559,900 |
| 36 | Nine | NRL Grand Final Day – Post Match | 1,539,600 |
| 37 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Aus V Nga | 1,482,200 |
| 38 | ABC | Vera | 1,464,000 |
| 39 | Seven | Seven’s AFL: Friday Night Football Finals | 1,462,400 |
| 40 | Nine | 2023 Australian Open D14 – Men’s Final – Presentation | 1,462,400 |
| 41 | Nine | The Block – Launch | 1,421,100 |
| 42 | Seven | Seven News | 1,391,900 |
| 43 | Seven | FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Final Esp V Eng Post Game | 1,386,900 |
| 44 | Seven | Farmer Wants A Wife – Finale Part 1 | 1,375,800 |
| 45 | Seven | The Voice – Launch | 1,365,700 |
| 46 | Nine | Carols By Candlelight | 1,364,300 |
| 47 | Seven | Home And Away | 1,357,800 |
| 48 | Seven | The 63rd TV Week Logie Awards | 1,357,800 |
| 49 | Seven | Farmer Wants A Wife – Finale Part 2 | 1,352,600 |
| 50 | Seven | The Voice – Grand Finale | 1,347,000 |
Source: OzTAM Total TV all people, national, calendar year Jan-Dec 2023
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