Ian Thorpe Interview pulls 982,000 for Ten as X Factor dips on return
Ten’s 90 minute interview with former Olympic swimming hero Ian Thorpe pulled in 982,000 metro viewers last night.
It aired at 6pm against Nine and Seven’s news bulletins then the return of ratings juggernaut The X Factor on Seven and the blind auditions for The Voice Kids on Nine which got 1.226m and 1.150m respectively. The X Factor was the second most watched show across all the demographics.
Last weeks episode of The Voice Kids saw 1.255m metro viewers tune in while the launch episode of The X Factor in 2013 had a metro audience of 1.633m according to OzTam overnight ratings.
The Thorpe interview with veteran British broadcaster Michael Parkinson where the swimmer came out as gay is understood to have cost Ten in the region of $500,000, with the swimmer also part of its commentary team for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
Why is this even a story?
If you don’t understand that, I suggest you stay a viewer, and not an exec.