The Block gets endorsement from Nine Network boss Hugh Marks
Despite weakened ratings over the opening week, Channel 9 is happy with The Block, now in its 16th season.
It part because it is not as expensive as other shows the network puts to air.
The Block premiered last Sunday with a subdued 947,000 viewers which was the weakest debut for a series since 2015 in South Yarra. It was down on 2019 when 991,000 tuned into the Oslo. The four interim years were all over one million viewers.
The Block then had 762,000 tune in last Tuesday night which was an increase on the 738,000 the show had on Monday night.
Last week it was revealed the Nine Network was looking to dump some of its pricey shows such as The Voice.
With the free-to-air television market struggling, the broadcaster’s parent Nine Entertainment has been focused on costs.
On an investor call after Nine delivered full-year results on Thursday, Nine chief executive Hugh Marks singled out The Voice, featuring singers Delta Goodrem, Guy Sebastian and Boy George, saying it was a “$40m cost in the schedule”.
“As you go forward those shows just, you know, get a little bit more difficult to hold onto,” Marks said.
Marks later told The Australian that Nine long-running renovation competition reality show The Block is “a third of the cost per hour of something like The Voice”, yet delivered an equivalent audience.