Free TV revenue bounces back but Ten pulls out of info sharing
The free TV networks have bounced back from last year’s ad revenue decimation, numbers released by Free TV Australia today reveal.
However, a spat over the data collection has seen Ten pull out of the process, meaning this could be the last time the numbers are available.
The first six months of this year saw revenue rise by 17.8% compared to the same period last year.
According to the data, the three networks received a total of $1.822bn for the first six months of 2010. In the same period last year, that revenue had declined to $1.547m.
It means that the three networks have received an annual ad revenue of roughly $3.7bn.
According to the data, of the three networks, Seven has the biggest slice with a 37.94% share. This was followed by Nine with 33.18% and Ten with 28.88%.
For Ten, despite the continuing success of Masterchef, the share is actually less than it was in the second half of 2009 when Seven had 38.01%, Nine had 31.91% and Ten had 30.08%.
But compared to 12 months ago, the share has shifted slightly away from Seven and towards Ten. This time last year Seven had 38.51%, Nine 33.16% and Ten 28.33%.
Nine’s slightly improved share was partly driven by the Winter Olympics.
But after the numbers were published, Ten issued a release saying:
“Ten Network Holdings Limited today advised that it was pleased to confirm Network Ten’s 5-city metropolitan advertising revenue of $402.23 million for January to June 2010, representing the best-in-market growth on the same period last year of 21.24 per cent.
“Network Ten also advised it held serious concerns regarding the accuracy of both the composition and allocation of metropolitan commercial television revenue released by Free TV today for the six months to 30 June 2010.
“As a consequence, Network Ten today formally advised Free TV that it will no longer participate in the collation of the Free TV commercial TV advertising revenue data.”
The Free TV data:
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large. He returned to Mumbrella as Publisher in January 2025
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I thought TV was dead??
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Dead, buried, cremated. Well, after Masterchef finishes that is.
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I can see the mini series in the offing.. Channel Lazarus…
Now between us all we should be able to come up with a prospective cast for all the identities. Who will Mel Gibson play? Kerry packers Ghost maybe.
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Not in the eyes of the advertisers!!!
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TV won’t die, it will just become less of a must-have in the future mix of marketing.
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18% YOY growth – absolutely amazing for a medium that is allegedly irrelevant in the life of Joe Schmoe.
Thank God Stephen Conroy rushed to the rescue of Free TV with that $240m.
That’s looking like money well spent, isn’t it?
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The doomsday merchants (web sales folk) must be spewing!
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SOCIAL MEDIA 4EVA!
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Very quiet in here all of a sudden. Where’s all the digital and social guru’s gone?
3.7B pumped into TV in one year. Money talks, bullshit walks.
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ANON333 – I guess while all this money was being made in TV, they were telling their 250 twitter followers what they had for breakfast.
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Majority of advertisers expenditure are up YOY and booking forwards are at there longest in years due to the current demend… Television is dead? “Digital” you have got another thing coming if you think FTA Television is going anywhere…..
The launch of the digital channels increased offering and the launch of the all networks 3rd channel in 2011……
The one that that digital will never offer the advertiser is the emotional connection a TVC can create with a consumer……….
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