Sydney audiences shun The Block's lengthening Melbourne residency
It seems Sydneysiders have tired of The Block Melbourne.
There has been a marked deterioration in Sydney metro viewers with the latest series, its 10th season. Last night, The Block's Triple Threat overall metro viewership slumped to its lowest audience yet, 739,000 and sitting outside of the metro top 10 shows of the night.
The Block series trends - Sydney Only
Source: OzTAM (Metro).
There were just the 208,000 Sydney viewers last night, while in Melbourne 270,000 tuned in to what appears to be the very elongated introductory elimination episodes. Up against the tennis on its debut there was a 223,000 Sydney audience with 283,000 tuning in from hometown Melbourne.
Perhaps everyone is awaiting Deanne Jolly's arrival, with Darren in tow, but Triple Threat has not got off to a good start, only five episodes in and it’s by far their poorest Sydney audience.
The first four episodes of Triple Threat contrasted to the first four of Glasshouse – it’s down 40%.
Cheaper property acquisitions has been offered as the major reason The Block has been based in Melbourne for several years now, but it is also on the back of close relations built up with planning authorities, councils, suppliers and tradies, such as former contestant turned 'foreboy', Dan Reilly.
They have fitted so well into Melbourne they even managed to stop the trams along the number 6 High Street route on their Prahran Glasshouse open day last year.
The series arrived in Melbourne for its bitter-sweet Richmond series in 2011 and has only been back in Sydney once since 2011, the cottages on the hillside at Bondi, delayed after months of Waverley Council haggling. The series had started in 2003 at Bondi Beach, then went elsewhere within Sydney to Manly and Vaucluse.
The first three Sydney seasons of The Block aired once weekly.
And with The Block Octogon series coming up, again in South Yarra, it doesn't look like Sydney is on their immediate radar, although wikipedia says season 11 will be in Sydney without any confirmation. No apparent purchases through Watercress Productions appear to have been made in NSW.
Last night, My Kitchen Rules had a 1.4 million five capital city audience in top spot, with a 414,000 Sydney audience and 379,000 in Melbourne. Channel Ten’s best was I am a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here back on 685,000, continuing on its downward spiral.
Tonight, Wednesday The Block goes up against My Kitchen Rules contestants, the Blue Mountain based Texan cattleman and his heart-breaker daughter.
UPDATE: The Block attracted 683,000 metro viewers on Wednesday with just the 179,000 Sydney viewers. MKR won with 471,000 Sydney viewers amid the 1.69 million in the OzTam five city metro ratings. Fast disappearing into the jungle, I am a Celebrity wained to 588,000 with 169,000 viewers in Sydney.
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