Even a great Origin series is no guarantee of big audience numbers

The third and final game of the State of Origin series was a hit for Nine, but viewer numbers weren't as strong as in previous years.

Glenn Dyer

Jul 14, 2022

Jeremiah Nanai of the Maroons during Game 3 of the 2022 State of Origin series (Image: AAP/Dave Hunt)

We are now at post-peak Origin as far as TV audiences are concerned. The chances of getting a 3 million-plus national audience are gone. Most League fans like the idea of Origin but the marginal fans are not flocking to watch what on paper looks like a great game or series, as the 2022 series was.

Last night’s audience figures for the third and deciding game won by Queensland (and the series) confirms it. The national audience was 2.588 million, just above the 2.512 million for Game 1 but just under the 2.609 million for Game 2 (which was on a Sunday night, which might account for the higher figure).

The metro audiences were 1.792 million for last night, 1.797 million for Game 2 and 1.771 million for Game 1 of this year’s series. The regional audiences tell a similar story: 796,000 for last night, 812,000 for Game 2 and 741,000 for the first game.

It was Nine’s night, clearly — end of the Origin hype, back to the closing rounds of the season, with AFL heading down the closing rounds of its season as well.

In breakfast, ABC News Breakfast had more metro viewers than Nine’s Today for the second time in a week, 194,000 to 189,000… hmmm. Nationally, Today finished in front of News Breakfast, with both well behind Sunrise on Seven.

Network channel share:

Nine (49.2%)
Seven (18.2%)
ABC (13.3%)
Ten (11.8%)
SBS (7.5%)

Network main channels:

Nine (42.6%)
Seven (12.7%)
ABC (9.9%)
Ten (7.3%)
SBS ONE (4.7%)

Top 5 digital channels:

7TWO (2.7%)
10 Peach (2.4%)
GO (2.2%)
10 Bold (1.9%)
9Life (1.8%)

Top 10 national programs:

State of Origin: Game 3 (Nine) — 2.588 million
Seven News — 1.462 million
Seven News 6.30pm — 1.381 million
State of Origin: Pre-Match (Nine) — 1.286 million
Nine News 6.30pm — 1.116 million
Nine News — 1.111 million
State of Origin: Post-Match (Nine) — 1.079 million
7pm ABC News — 845,000
The Chase Australia 5.30 (Seven) — 840,000
Home and Away (Seven) — 660,000

Top metro programs:

1. State of Origin: Game 3 (Nine) — 1.792 million

Regional top 5: State of Origin: Game 3, 796,000; Seven News, 539,000; Seven News 6.30, 503,000; State of Origin: Pre-Match, 450,000; State of Origin: Post-Match, 373,000.

Losers: no one — Origin too dominant, like Queensland.

Metro news and current affairs: