Australia TV Ratings and News Reports

Years ago, ratings were collected by sending out paper “diaries” to selected viewers, who would be asked to write down what shows they watched and on which channels. In those days, it was all about “who’s watching what”. The huge changes in how we watch TV thanks to technology, though, have meant that ratings need to be measured differently. Now, there are several different elements that feed into the ratings system – including pay TV, time-shifting (like catch-up TV or recordings on a DVR).

It’s a complex system that’s actually not that hard to understand – check out the links below for detailed information about how the system works:

In this report of Australian TV ratings, we look at the following categories:

More about the Ratings System:

Because the ratings data being collected directly reflects what each household in the survey is watching, OzTAM installs a special device in the homes of those selected to be a part of the ratings panel. Known as Unitam, the device is better-known to some as a “people meter”. This clever little device can monitor and record a full range of information about the channels and shows being watched, as well as who’s watching them. All the household members need to do is “check in” with a remote control when they start watching (as do any guests who happen to be there at the time). From that point on, they watch TV as normal, and Unitam silently captures the details of what’s being watched in the background whether tuned into Network Seven, Nine, Ten, ABC, SBS or the subscription based Fox Sports channel. The date and time, how long shows are watched for, and even whether individual TVs are switched on or off is all captured, along with the audio from the watched channel so the correct shows can be identified.

Each night, Unitam “phones home” to OzTAM headquarters, uploading all of that day’s viewing data. Then, sophisticated software takes over, processing the data to identify what was being watched – not just the show, but whether it was a time-shifted recording of that show. The system can identify shows watched (from devices such as Foxtel iQ or Fetch TV) up to four weeks later.

By the morning, the results of the previous day’s surveys are ready to be released – outlining minute-by-minute ratings numbers for each channel and show. Those numbers are further refined that afternoon, when the television broadcasters supply the actual broadcast times of the night’s shows so any that ran overtime can be taken into account. Those ratings, based on what are called Confirmed times, are the most accurate, and are released the following day.

Selection of homes to take part in OzTAM ratings is the result of a survey of thousands of homes across Australia each year. Any home can be selected and interviewed, and from those results a pool of 5,250 homes is chosen in the five largest cities. A separate pool of homes is chosen for regional ratings (3,198 homes) while for pay TV ratings, 2,120 homes are chosen from both the metropolitan and regional pools.

The exact requirements for being accepted as a ratings household are kept secret – and change from year to year – to make sure the results represent a true sample of the Australian TV viewing audience, across many different age groups and economic backgrounds.

Those chosen to be on the OzTAM panel can stay for up to four years – though they can leave at any time if they no longer want to take part in the survey.

Terms Used in the Ratings Reports Explained

There’s a lot of “industry lingo” used in the official ratings, as you’ll see when you browse the results. While much of it is straightforward, there are some terms that are well worth explaining:

Glossary of Terms

How to Read the TV Ratings Reports

Armed with the terms above, interpreting the ratings data is pretty simple. OzTAM can dig deep into their data to reveal information like the exact times of day the numbers cover, whether shows were repeats or first-run episodes, and even drilling down into the hard data that advertisers want to know, such as the viewing habits of the household’s main grocery buyer (who’s referred to as the “MGB”!)

The numbers you’ll see on these pages will give you a more general overview of what rated well overnight, as well as a longer-term look at how shows did when 7-day and 28 day playback numbers come in. For many shows, it’s that delayed playback that can make all the difference, with some shows more than others tending to be watched later from recordings rather than live as they air.