Sunrise or Today? New statistics reveal which breakfast TV show has better audience engagement
Sunrise versus the Today show – it’s a ratings battle that’s been raging for decades.
And according to new figures released on Thursday, one breakfast show reigns supreme when it comes to the crucial field of audience engagement.
The Sunrise viewership average per-person is 54 minutes on weekdays, five-minutes longer than the Today show.
Sunrise or Today? New stats have revealed that Sunrise reigns supreme in the field of audience engagement – a metric advertisers say correlates to how much they’re willing to spend
Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon – who are hosting together for the first time in 2020 – manage to keep viewers watching for an average of 49 minutes.
Sunrise has the advantage of stability, with Samantha Armytage and David Koch now in their seventh year as co-hosts of Seven’s flagship breakfast program.
Media analyst Steve Allen told the Herald Sun on Thursday that extra minutes directly correlates to advertising spend.
‘Audience engagement, on top of viewer numbers, is one of the biggest talking points in the modern media landscape,’ Allen told the publication.
According to the new statistics, David Koch (pictured) and Samantha Armytage maintain viewer engagement for an average of 54 minutes for Sunrise on weekdays
He added: ‘Advertisers and their agencies really consider time spent watching, particularly at breakfast where people often dip in and out.’
‘In breakfast television, every minute counts,’ Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell said.
Last month, it was announced that Sunrise host Sam Armytage, 43, would reduce her on-air duties and opt for a four-day week.
They beat out competitors Karl Stefanovic (L) and Allison Langdon (R), who have an average viewer engagement rate of 49 minutes
As a result, Natalie Barr, 52, will be stepping up to host the Seven breakfast program two days a week – with a salary increase to boot.
Sam will no longer work Mondays, and co-anchor David ‘Kochie’ Koch, 64, hasn’t worked Fridays for some time.
Consequently, Natalie will host with David on Mondays and with Sam on Fridays.
Book-ending the week: Sam Armytage (centre left) will no longer work Mondays, and co-anchor David ‘Kochie’ Koch (centre right) hasn’t work Fridays for some time. Natalie (left) will take the helm on these days. Pictured right: sports reporter Mark Beretta