A humiliation for Network 10 as Melbourne Cup coverage plummets to record lows – some viewers watch Sydney’s races from MISTAKE on Channel Seven
Channel 10 paid a fortune for the rights to the Melbourne Cup, but it looks like the investment hasn’t exactly paid off.
Just over a million Tube viewers tuned in to see Gold Trip’s triumph at Flemington Racecourse – a record low for television coverage of the race that has brought the nation to a standstill.
Viewership in five cities was 1.024 million, down 345,000 from last year when 1.213 million tuned in. It is also the lowest television viewership for the Melbourne Cup since records began 20 years ago, the Herald Sun reports.
Network 10’s Melbourne Cup coverage, hosted by Eddie McGuire (pictured), the stalwart Channel Nine, plunged to record lows this year
It was a major blow to Channel 10, which reportedly paid $100m in 2019 to secure broadcasting rights to the Melbourne Cup Carnival until 2023.
Channel Nine celebrity Eddie McGuire moderated the ongoing coverage of 10 from Flemington, with commentary from actor Rob Mills and presenter Tara Rushton.
Sydney’s television audience was 212,000, down sharply from 310,000 last year.
Melbourne fared better for the free-to-air channel, attracting 528,000 viewers, up 8,000 from 2021.
Viewership in five cities was 1.024 million, down 345,000 from last year when 1.213 million tuned in. It is also the lowest television viewership for the Melbourne Cup since records began 20 years ago, the Herald Sun reports. (Pictured: AFL WAG Bec Judd at Flemington Racecourse)
Brisbane audiences fell dramatically compared to last year, attracting just 132,000 spectators compared to 205,000 in 2021.
Ratings in Perth and Adelaide were just as bad for Channel 10.
In the Western Australian capital, just 73,000 viewers bothered to watch – down from 89,000 in 2021. Meanwhile, just 79,000 Adelaideans tuned in.
Channel Nine celebrity Eddie McGuire hosted the ongoing coverage of 10 from Flemington, with commentary from actor Rob Mills (pictured) and presenter Tara Rushton
The channel’s online stream also fell, with 152,000 viewers on 10 plays, according to the Herald Sun, compared to 175,000 in 2021.
Channel 10 has seen a steady decline in viewership for its Melbourne Cup coverage since it secured free-to-air TV rights to the carnival in 2019.
Seven was previously the broadcaster for the 2002 Melbourne Cup.
Many viewers who were used to watching the event on Seven forgot to change channels and accidentally tuned in to the Sydney races instead.
Channel 10 presenter Tara Rushton (pictured) was trackside for coverage of the Melbourne Cup