TV3 BREAKS RECORDS IN 2010

TV3 GROUP RELEASE
IMMEDIATE: Tuesday 21st December 2010

• Largest ever audience share for TV3 Group

• Highest rating programme ever on TV3 for The X Factor Final

• Best rating home-produced programme for The Apprentice

• TV3 fastest growing terrestrial channel and 3e fastest growing digital channel

2010 ends as the most successful year ever for TV3. The Group achieved its largest ever Adult share for a year with the combined TV3/3e viewing at 14.01%. TV3 alone is the only terrestrial channel to have increased its share of viewing for two years running. With only two weeks of the year to go, the channel’s Live Adult 15+ Share stands at 12.9%*, a 4% increase on the same period in 2009. This follows a 3% increase in 2009 over 2008. TV3’s share in 2010 was 30% greater than RTE2’s and also greater than BBC1, UTV and Channel 4 combined.

This year, TV3 achieved its highest ever rating for a single programme in its eleven year history when 930,500 people watched The X Factor Final on Sunday December 12th. The Apprentice enjoyed its best-rating season yet, with an average audience of 547,000 and a peak episode of 583,000 viewers. Even Coronation Street reached its highest ever audience, with 865,000 Individuals watching on December 6th 2010.

TV3 offered its viewers more Irish content than ever before in 2010 – over 2,600 hours or 37% of the channel’s broadcast time. Home-produced hits in 2010 were many and varied, and included Celebrity Salon (183,000 Individuals for its best episode), Gangland Ireland (217,000), Young Dumb & Living Off Mum (221,000), Midweek (234,000), Bullied To Death: The Phoebe Prince Story (240,000), Boozed Up Irish Abroad (258,000), Vanished In The Mountains (272,000), Impact: Tragedy On Irish Roads (288,000), 24 Hours To Kill (294,000), The Truth About Travellers (344,000) and the Ray Foley-hosted dating show Take Me Out (342,000). See table attached.

TV3’s daytime offering was stronger than ever in 2010. Average viewing to Ireland AM was up 9% compared to 2009, The Morning Show’s share increased by 14% year-on-year and Midday’s viewing surged by 20% versus last year. TV3’s news output resonated strongly with the Irish public during this momentous year. News at 5.30 recorded the highest rating since the programme began when 348,000 people watched the bulletin on Thursday 2nd of December. Average viewing to Tonight with Vincent Browne increased by 11% compared to last year.

3e became the fastest growing digital channel in Ireland this year, ahead of the 200+ channels available. Its share of viewing amongst Adults increased by a third compared to 2009. Exclusive broadcasts of the UEFA Europa League, as well as new seasons of Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show helped to make the channel more popular than E4, Living and Comedy Central.

By the close of 2010, TV3 will celebrate 10 million visits to its website, www.tv3.ie, up from 5.5 million in 2009. These visits generated over 44 million page views in total. The site offers exclusive full episode video catch-up on all TV3’s top shows like The X Factor, The Apprentice, Coronation Street, Ireland AM and Xposé. In November 2010, www.tv3.ie had over 1.2 million video plays of its content online. The average time on site for the website is an industry leading 15.5 minutes.

ENDS

For further information & Interviews:
Maureen Catterson
TV3 PRESS OFFICE
+353 1 419 3430
+353 87 7800 737
Maureen.catterson@tv3.ie
publicity@tv3.ie
www.tv3.ie

Notes to Editor
Please see attached TV3 Top Rating Programmes 2010 All data is Source: TAM Ireland Ltd/Nielsen TAM *1st Jan – 13th Dec 2010, Adults 15+ Live Viewing. Average viewing to The Apprentice – Individuals Consolidated