The Nine Network’s leaders’ debate descended into a shambles — but nationally 641,000 viewers tuned in.
However, viewers in Perth were clearly turned off by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese slugging it out, with a paltry 39,000 viewers bothering to watch.
It was crushed by 7NEWS Perth, which attracted 143,000 viewers — more than three times the viewers who watched the great debate — and topped Sunday’s ratings.
The leaders’ debate finished a miserable 12th in the ratings in WA, even being beaten out by Nine’s own advertorial Our State On A Plate, which pulled in 40,000 eyeballs.
Sydney was the debate’s best market, where 253,000 people watched it, while 206,000 Melburnians tuned in.
But it quickly lost momentum from there, with only 94,000 people switching it on in Brisbane and 50,000 in Adelaide.
7NEWS was the best rating program across the nation with a massive 879,000 viewers, with The Voice also doing well with 766,000 eyeballs.
It comes as star Channel 9 talent Ben Fordham roasted his own network over the shambolic coverage of the leaders’ debate.
The 2GB host spent a large part of his breakfast show on Monday criticising the Nine Network for how it hosted the TV event, slamming the “disjointed”, “messy” and “awkward” way in which the verbal battle between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was managed.
“It wasn’t great. It was a shambles. All over the shop,” Fordham said on his show.
“Channel 9 was not the winner. When the TV ratings come out, I think it will show that.
“I think the ratings will show that Australians would have largely turned off the contest.
“People have got better things to do than waste their Sunday night listening to two people talking over each other.
“It’s like watching two blokes at the pub arguing over the colour of the carpet.”
Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese repeatedly talked over the top of each other, with angry viewers taking to social media to vent their frustrations.
Many said the debate was hard to follow thanks to how poorly the clashing politicians were being mediated, as well as a faulty online voting poll — which at one point listed the Coalition twice.
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