Record Audiences Tune Into TVNZ For Sixth Edition Of T20 Black Clash

Saturday night’s sold-out Cricket vs Rugby T20 Black Clash cricket match in Mt Maunganui was another blockbuster ratings success for broadcaster TVNZ – with one in five Kiwis tuning in for the match.
 

The sixth edition of the match, which pitted a cast of current and former A-list rugby stars against their cricketing counterparts in a fun but competitive T20 match at a packed-out Bay Oval, had the largest audience of any sports broadcast on a single channel since the start of 2023 according to figures supplied by ratings agency Nielsen.
 

It was also the third most-watched broadcast overall in TVNZ’s Saturday night timeslot in the past 12 months, trailing only the 2023 election night and the coronation of King Charles III.
 

In total the match reached 1.085 viewers on TVNZ 1, 22 per cent of the population. Over on TVNZ+ an additional 80k accounts streamed the match generating 155k streams.
 

“The Hot Spring Spas T20 Black Clash in association with Wolfbrook continues to be the biggest sportainment event by pretty much every metric,” event director Carlena Limmer of Duco Events said.
 

“Considering we had rugby and cricket world cups in 2023, for the Black Clash to be New Zealand’s highest reaching sports event shown on a single channel over the past 12 months shows just how hugely popular this iconic event is with Kiwis,” Limmer said.

“When you’ve got the likes of sporting legends such as Brian Lara and Johnathan Thurston rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in Kiwi sporting history, an atmosphere that’s all about engaging the fans and celebrating our heroes, plus the wonderful job TVNZ do, it’s not surprising the event continues to capture such a huge audience.”

The broadcast produced a major ratings boost for TVNZ 1 on Saturday night, delivering an additional 245K viewers aged 5+, compared to the usual audience at this time.

TVNZ’s General Manager, Sport and Events, Melodie Robinson said “I’m a huge fan of the Black Clash and love watching the friendly competitiveness come out between rugby and cricket each year especially given it’s all for a good cause. To be the biggest single channel audience for a sporting event in the past 12 months is a huge feat. It demonstrates the power of free-to-view sports, as well as the unmissable nature of this now iconic annual event.”

As well as proving hugely entertaining, the event has now raised over half a million dollars for cricket and rugby players’ associations, with much of that money going towards supporting former players who have struggled following the completion of their careers.

“The chance to support their mates is a huge part of why our sports stars turn out to play in the match every year,” Limmer said.

“It’s a huge part of why the event is so successful.”

Hot Spring Spas T20 Black Clash in Association with Wolfbrook Ratings (2024)

- Total audience reach of 1.085M - 22% of New Zealanders on TVNZ 1.

- Over on TVNZ+, an additional reached 80K registered users and generated 155K streams

- The Black Clash saw sharp audience growth year-on-year with average audiences up 23% amongst those aged 5+

- In the Saturday night slot only the 2023 election and the Coronation of King Charles III have achieved bigger audiences since the start of 2023

Source;Nielsen TAM; Overnights; 01/01/23-21/01/24; AP5+; FTA Channels (* channel where available), SKY Sports channels; Ave Daily Reach (000,%), Ranked by Ave Daily Reach (000); 06:00-23:59; Excluding repeats, filler, and infomercials, Typology=New, Current Affairs,

Source; Google Analytics (VOD) Youbora (LiveStream); 20/01/24; AP 13+; Reach, Streams

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