ITV ratings crisis. What is going wrong?

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  • FuddFudd Posts: 166,868
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    GeorgeS wrote: »
    You are one of the reasons I stopped posting in the Ratings thread. Most of your post above is either wrong, selective or misleading. In short you are a troll.

    You have no understanding of what drives ad revenues for ITV; demographics and ABC1 share

    The ratings thread today is mainly a trolling thread populated mainly by kids, the lonley and people posting their same crackpot theories every other day as if repetition makes them any more credible.

    I was wondering where you had gone, George. :D
    SamuelW wrote: »
    XFactor has lost 2million from last year: this series is averaging 8.5million, last years was averaged 10.5m.

    Last year's average is artificially boosted by the pre-live stages; the live stages is where the rot settled in. This year's show has been hit by the poor performance of last year's lives. IF that's all it is the gap should start to close.
    SamuelW wrote: »
    New Dramas are launching with only 2-4million. Here are Itv drama ratings for 1st episodes since summer: The Last Weekend [3.2m], Homefront [3.1m], Leaving [3.7m], Mrs Biggs [3.8m], 13 Steps [4m], Blethcley Circle [4.1m], Scapegoat [2m], Mothers Son [4.5m]. So almost all those new dramas have begun with 2-4m.

    Scapegoat was thrown against the Paralympics Closing Ceremony; Leaving and A Mother's Son both aired against New Tricks; The Last Weekend was scheduled opposite Silent Witness and Mrs. Biggs was broadcast in arguably the most difficult slot of the week with every channel offering something new. Admittedly Homefront could have done better and Bletchley Circle was a massive opportunity missed IMO - the drama should have been based on the work at Bletchley Park during the war; not another crime drama.
    SamuelW wrote: »
    Most returning dramas are ratings worse than before: Monroe got 3.3m, series 1 opener got 5.9m.

    Hmm, how did Monroe do across series 1? It fell, didn't it? Plus it was against New Tricks.
    SamuelW wrote: »
    Midsomer Murders latest episode got 4.0m, previous episodes would get 5m.

    ITV have treated Midsomer Murders really badly; using repeats to prop up the channel to such an extent that people either cannot tell which is new and which is a repeat or, if they do know, they also realise they can catch up pretty easily as it's always repeated.
    SamuelW wrote: »
    Bad football ratings: Man Utd match got 3.5m, last year Man Utd matches never got worse than 4.5m. England match in early September got 4m, last year got 6m.

    I think people are becoming tired of football in this country; as alluded to by other posters, the Olympics have opened people's eyes to other sports which are much easier on the eye and the pocket plus the soul hasn't been ripped out of them by commercial greed.
    SamuelW wrote: »
    Take Me Out got only 3million yesterday: previous series got 4.9m.

    When has a previous series of Take Me Out aired opposite a show rating at nearly 9m?
    SamuelW wrote: »
    Red or Black: 3.4million for series 2 according to DS. This is very bad for high budget show.

    It was lucky to get a second series to be honest! It was a risk that didn't pay off.
    SamuelW wrote: »
    Emmerdale is getting less than 7million: hasnt managed to get 7million in months even though live episode is under 2 weeks away.

    The production of the show is awful at the moment with dislikeable characters and bad plots. It's needs a reboot to be honest.
    SamuelW wrote: »
    Coronation Street spin off rating badly: 2.5million last week and less than 3.5m for other episodes.

    It's cheap filler but it shows the Emmerdale lead in means little in the great scheme of things. ITV will be very nervous of airing new shows there.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,681
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    Tassium wrote: »
    All ratings are down. ITV1 is perhaps more noticeable because BBC1 has a loyal "core viewership", one of the few channels that still does.

    Core viewership? :D Do you have any proof of this or is it just some wild assumption?

    Maybe, just maybe, people prefer the wider and better range of programming that BBC1 offers, something that ITV used to do in the past.
  • mikwmikw Posts: 48,715
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    Tassium wrote: »
    All ratings are down. ITV1 is perhaps more noticeable because BBC1 has a loyal "core viewership", one of the few channels that still does.

    A core audience has to be built and maintained, and can you say that other channels don't?
  • TORPIDO 1TORPIDO 1 Posts: 1,694
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    people areforgetting that the bbc had the london olympics which gave them a chance to trailer everything a lot - the voice tankrd it and so have the poster is wearing rose tinted glasses also remember than we are only a couple of weeks away from everybody have all channels and therefore a massively seperated audience in this market 3- 5 million is good anything more than exceptional. there are some bbc loyalists but on balance every channel has its problems itvs well listed , bbc 1 and 2 over reliant on escape to the country bargain hunt and cash in the attic etc ch 4 too reliasnt upon come dine with me and channel 5 too relaint on csi - the list goes on and on - ratings are ratings at the end of the day and sometimes they dont tell the whole truth just part of the bigger picture
  • KennyTKennyT Posts: 20,700
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    Whilst I personally have no love for ITV, I think the OP is overstating his case. Comparing ITVs latest total share with the same week 2 years ago:

    ITV1 is down 0.5% share points
    ITV (total) is up 0.7% share points

    (one week comparisons are a bit untrustworthy so take a look at the OfCom fig 12c here:
    http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/reviews-investigations/psb-review/psb2012/section-c.pdf)

    "Multi-channel homes:"
    2002: ITV1 19%, portfolio channels ~2%
    2005: ITV1 18%, portfolio channels 4%
    2008: ITV1 17%, portfolio channels 5%
    2011: ITV1 16%, portfolio channels 7%

    So, while ITV1's share has fallen 3% over the last 9 years, their other channels have more than made up for it.

    That's not to say that ITV shouldn't be worried. They've always had their "big hitters" and if they are starting to show signs of dropping viewers, then there may be stormy waters ahead...

    K
  • douknowotimean?douknowotimean? Posts: 1,799
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    I don't think ITV1 is that bad at the moment. The Simon Cowell type TV Shows such as X Factor and Red or Black are what is flanking at the moment. I don't think X Factor will be on ITV1 post 2014 anyway.

    The same can be said for Daybreak although give it time, it will grow.
  • Andy23Andy23 Posts: 15,921
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    SamuelW wrote: »
    No these stats are not factually incorrect. I am not comparing group stage of Champions League to knockouts. Man Utd always normally get around 5million for even the group matches not 3.5million. Out of the dramas, The Scapegoat got 2million viewers. As I said, 2-4million is how nearly all of the Itv dramas have started with. 3million for Homefront and Last Weekend, 4million for Blecthley and Mrs Biggs.

    Scapegoat was aired opposite the Paralympics closing ceremony.

    This blows a hole in your theory of dramas launching with 2-4 million viewers. One drama opposite a massive international event got 2 million, everything else got over 3m if not 4m.
  • RickWhiteRickWhite Posts: 1,997
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    When they got rid of all the regional identities people just switched off. If they can be disloyal, the viewers can punish.
  • Glenn AGlenn A Posts: 23,794
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    I live in the North West and there is still a residual loyalty to ITV shows like Coronation St, but the days of people only ever watching ITV are over.
  • Bandspread199Bandspread199 Posts: 4,889
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    Glenn A wrote: »
    ITV3 is good as it shows you how good the main channel was in the past and ITV4 has some excellent minority sport. However, the two main channels seem to be overwhelmingly aimed at female viewers who love soaps and mindless entertainment. Mind you, to be fair, since Katie Price and Paris Hilton's contracts ended, ITV2 isn't as desperate as it was a few years ago and certainly rubbish like Love Island would never be shown night after night on the main channel like it was a few years afgo.

    ITV 3 is a success because it shows old popular programmes...shows how good things were in the 70s/80s!
  • malcy30malcy30 Posts: 7,051
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    ITV 3 is a success because it shows old popular programmes...shows how good things were in the 70s/80s!

    ITV3 gets good audiences as it has virtually no competition on Freeview if you are looking for drama especially in the daytime. Must have a large old audience which is not particularly advertiser friendly. My dad has it on virtually full time.
  • gulliverfoylegulliverfoyle Posts: 6,318
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    SamuelW wrote: »
    There hasnt been much to watch on Itv for males like me for many years apart from sport.

    agreed its a bit like the adverts

    mostly aimed at women

    watch how many portray men as stupid or inept

    including "so simple even a man could do it"

    oh sorry its a joke

    try that the other way around see what happens
  • Glenn AGlenn A Posts: 23,794
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    agreed its a bit like the adverts

    mostly aimed at women

    watch how many portray men as stupid or inept

    including "so simple even a man could do it"

    oh sorry its a joke

    try that the other way around see what happens

    Well you could say Sky Sports and ESPN are mostly aimed at men, but ITV1 and 2, more so, have obviously found a demographic they like and there's always ITV4 for the blokes. However, I really can't stand their overly female breakfast and morning offerings that seem to think all women are interested in are soaps, X Factor gossip and zeleb rubbish.
  • Mr SirsMr Sirs Posts: 4,826
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    SamuelW wrote: »
    I dont know if you follow ratings, but Itv have been in a ratings crisis this Autumn with lots of their shows rating very badly.

    The X Factor has lost 2million viewers since last year.

    New Dramas are launching with only 2-4million viewers instead of 5-7million they should be getting.

    Most returning dramas are ratings worse than before. Medical series Monroe just got 3.5m last Monday, a very bad audience.

    Champions League football has been getting just 3.5m for Man Utd matches even though in past they were ratings bankers.

    Take Me Out got only 3million yesterday, not even close to 4.5m it used to get.

    Red or Black for 3million last 7 weeks, terrible ratings for such an expensive show.

    Emmerdale is getting less than 7million, very poor considering it has a massive week coming up in just over 7 days time.

    Coronation Street spin offs only getting 2.5million, embarrassing for a show which used to get huge ratings for anything associated with it.

    Why do you think viewers have switched off watching Itv last few months? Itv are in a ratings crisis at the moment and advertise agencies must be very concerned by Itv struggling to get the mass audiences which the BBC does or even Itv used to be capable of. What is going wrong?



    Are you Robbie Sykes love child? :D :yawn:
  • Glenn AGlenn A Posts: 23,794
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    Also with regard to football atings falling, I think people are getting sick of the overkill, the tedium of many games that are hyped as being the best ever and the greed and corruption in the sport. However, should interest in football fall like it did in the eighties, then ITV could receive a severe blow as it has built up a large football portfolio and could lose one of the few areas its main channel connects with male viewers as certainly their entertainment, daytime and soap offerings largely appeal to women.
  • vauxhall1964vauxhall1964 Posts: 10,334
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    Glenn A wrote: »
    Where did you get your screen name? Vauxhall 1964 means two things to me, either you were born in Vauxhall in 1964 or you like Vauxhall Victors?

    nothing to do with cars... I live in Vauxhall and was born in 64.... I just wish I'd thought more about a user name before I joined!
  • Re-MinderRe-Minder Posts: 759
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    C14E wrote: »
    They've just put too many dramas on, particularly short run series and losing the Corrie lead-ins on Thursdays might not be helping either. I think they'd be doing better if they had run three 10x60' series in key slots for the autumn. Also, the BBC had a massive summer to promote their new dramas and frankly none of them are setting the ratings alight even with substantial promotion. Not as bad as Homefront of course. And New Tricks is down quite a bit I understand - probably not helped by facing drama competition on ITV1 as well.

    Take Me Out was hit by Strictly. It was always going to be down a bit and given the demos it's probably a timeslot improvement for ITV compared to last year. But it's a sign of how few entertainment hits we've seen on either channel that this is considered one of the bigger ones in recent years.

    Among the soaps ratings seem to be down across the board and I'm not sure Emmerdale or Corrie have anything more to worry about than Eastenders or Hollyoaks do at the moment. I understand that of the big 3, Eastenders is down the most year on year.

    Monroe did fine - New Tricks is pretty much the BBC's biggest drama (might be Call The Midwife now?) so that landing on Mondays was always going to be an issue for ITV and limit their potential drama audience in that slot. Nothing will or ever was going to get 5m there until NT ends.

    A good post, ITV has problems indeed, Emmerdale should be doing better numbers but the BBC has bigger problems with Eastenders, we are now in October yet Eastenders is still failing to break 8 million. As winter draws closer the ratings for all the soaps should increase BUT I feel the opposite may be true.

    ITV needs to cut its reliance on Cowell and take a few risks, Homefront has been a disaster but I commend them for taking the risk with it.
  • Re-MinderRe-Minder Posts: 759
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    GeorgeS wrote: »
    You are one of the reasons I stopped posting in the Ratings thread. Most of your post above is either wrong, selective or misleading. In short you are a troll.

    You have no understanding of what drives ad revenues for ITV; demographics and ABC1 share

    The ratings thread today is mainly a trolling thread populated mainly by kids, the lonley and people posting their same crackpot theories every other day as if repetition makes them any more credible.

    The real reason you stopped posting in thread is because you hated people airing their personal views, it is pathetic to call those that post in the ratings thread the insults in your post, and frankly the thread is better now without you.

    And it's takes a troll to call another a troll.
  • odz1odz1 Posts: 1,940
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    I would never watch ITV. Jeremy Kyle and X factor grrrrrr. Thank **** for discovery channel or repeats of Game of thrones on sky1.
  • Steve9214Steve9214 Posts: 8,402
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    The purpose of a Primetime soap is to get big ratings which then benefit the rest of the programmes scheduled afterwards. ITV messed about with the scheduling of their biggest asset, Coronation Street and have destroyed this effect.

    Viewers do not know when it will be on, 2 episodes some nights, on different nights each week.
    There was an episode on a Sunday recently wasn't there?

    ITV used to have "solid" TV schedules with programmes benefitting from a ratings lead-in from Corrie. This doesnt happen now as my Wife has to watch the Coronation Street omnibus as she misses so many episodes during the week. Thus other ITV programmes gain no benefit.

    When Michael Grade became Chariman he should he sacked all the schedulers and got people who knew what they were doing in place (like himself).

    ITV can make money at the moment, until the digital switchover kicks in.
    Then digital channels that are starting to produce their own original content will severely encroach on ITV's status as "main" commercial UK setup.
  • GeorgeSGeorgeS Posts: 20,039
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    What people in the Ratings Thread refuse to understand is that ratings are a means to an end in commercial television. They are not an end in themselves. Commercial tv is a business - you may not like that but it doesnt change how it is.

    ITV is only starting to be run as a proper business after decades of being run either by the unions, regional emperors, etc. Nowadays regional business men made good buy their local football team as a vanity projects, in decades gone by it was the local ITV franchise.
  • John259John259 Posts: 28,328
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    Steve9214 wrote: »
    The purpose of a Primetime soap is to get big ratings which then benefit the rest of the programmes scheduled afterwards.
    Except for live events, television schedules are of greatly reduced importance now. Many viewers only watch programmes in arrears, either recorded by themselves or by means of the broadcasters' streaming services. Part of the reason for doing that is convenience but another important reason is to skip ads, trailers and waffle within programmes.

    So the concept of a popular programme building an audience for the following programme, while still valid to some extent, has diminished considerably.
  • jlp95bwfcjlp95bwfc Posts: 18,259
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    SamuelW wrote: »
    On Itv2, big shows for them like TOWIE and Xtra Factor have been losing ratings. Xtra Factor only got 486k yesterday, a far cry from the million viewers it used to get. The Only way is Essex launched last week for its 578th series with its worst ever launch ratings. People are getting bored of these shows and new shows like Top Dog Model are a joke which nobody watches.

    So much for the Xtra Factor crisis. A peak of 2.8 million last night, with an average of 1.95 million.
  • mediaratmediarat Posts: 358
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    If you don't work for ITV or an advertising agency why would you even give a crap?
  • plankwalkerplankwalker Posts: 6,702
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    Simply too many digital channels now, even if you cannot afford the likes of Sky. If you want to watch adverts you have an amazing choice. Plus too many dedicated Channels peeling off viewers who are into history, travel, food, films you name it.

    ITV has to re adjust to this increasingly diverse choice. The days of 10 million plus viewers are probably over. They have also in my mind with things like X Factor, taken commercial cynicism to far recently and reap the whirlwind.
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