Channel Nine’s Today show has continued to close the gap with Seven Network rivals Sunrise in the breakfast TV ratings battle.
Viewership is slightly on the rise for the the once-embattled program, hosted by Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon.
According to OzTam, Today pulled in an average audience of 191,000 in East Coast capitals of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane combined this week, which was more than ‘Australia’s No. 1’ Sunrise’s 189,000.
The breakfast battle continues: Ratings rise for the Today show as the Channel Nine program continued to close the gap with Sunrise this week. Pictured Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Ally Langdon
The Channel Nine breakfast show also had a five-city metro audience of 231,000, which was just 36,000 viewers less than Sunrise (267,000).
Today is also firmly back in second place, after falling behind ABC News Breakfast earlier this year.
On Monday, Today had a metro audience of 241,000, which was 30,000 viewers less than Sunrise (271,000).
Just a day later, Today crept closer to Sunrise’s 252,000 metro viewers, drawing an audience of 230,000, which represented only a 22,000 difference.
Battle: Today pulled in an average audience of 191,000 in East Coast capitals of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane combined this week, which was more than ‘Australia’s No. 1’ Sunrise’s 189,000. Pictured Sunrise host Samantha Armytage
Sunrise has long been the most-watched breakfast TV show nationally and in the major cities, and has won every week and every day of 2020 so far.
After Today placed third in the ratings for 14 out of 28 weeks this year, Nine’s director of morning television, Steven Burling, said in July that he wouldn’t be happy until they topped the ratings – but he hastened to add that Today was on the right track.
Burling tweeted: ‘I won’t be happy with the ratings till we’re #1, but I’m certainly satisfied with a 10 per cent lift in numbers this year.
‘We have world-class hosts and a committed and dynamic production team – I’m extraordinarily proud of all of them.’
Don’t get too comfortable! Sunrise hosts Sam Armytage (left) and David Koch (right) have been sitting pretty at the top for years, but Today’s resurgence could change all that
Marathon, not a sprint: Nine’s director of morning television, Steven Burling, said in July that he wouldn’t be happy until they topped the ratings – but he hastened to add that Today was on the right track
It comes after Sunrise’s executive producer, Michael Pell, criticised the Today show in an interview with News.com.au in January.
‘I’m quite surprised at how all of that’s gone down with that show. Not to talk too much about them, but I’ve never seen that many people sacked that quickly for no apparent reason,’ he said, referring to the staff reshuffles in late 2018 and late 2019.
‘I think the audience is punishing them for that still. The audience doesn’t like a company that treats people badly.’
Karl, 46, was sacked from the Today show in December 2018 after his personal life was blamed for the declining ratings. He was reinstated as co-anchor in January this year, alongside Allison.
Rocky path: Karl, 46, was sacked from the Today show in 2018 before being reinstated as co-anchor in January this year, alongside Allison