SBS’ WorldWatch records a ZERO percent viewer share… despite $29 million federal funding injection
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SBS’s WorldWatch posts ZERO percent viewership…despite $29 million federal funding injection for 24-hour TV news channel
SBS’s 24-hour news channel WorldWatch turned out to be a hit with viewers.
Launched last May with the help of federal funds to the tune of $29 million, the platform, which features news media bulletins in 30 different countries, has consistently achieved just a 0 in OzTAM ratings.
This means that the number of people watching is so low on average that it is not significant enough to create a score.
SBS’s 24-hour news channel WorldWatch turned out to be a flop with viewers, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Friday Pictured: SBS CEO James Taylor (left) with SBS newsreaders , Ali Bahnasawy and Rena Li
Meanwhile, the SBS-produced Arabic and Mandarin news service, which is hosted by WorldWatch, continues to struggle to attract ratings reports. The Sydney Morning Herald.
According to the publication’s report, released on Friday, SBS Arabic News has achieved an average OzTAM rating of 151 viewers per night since May.
Its Mandarin evening newsletter, meanwhile, has achieved an average of 858 fans in the same period according to OzTAM data.
Among the news services that appear regularly on WorldWatch are bulletins produced by 20 Heures in France, YTN in South Korea, and RTP of Portugal.
Launched last May, the platform, which features news media bulletins in 30 different countries, has consistently achieved just a 0 in OzTAM’s ratings. This means that the number of people watching is so low on average that it is not significant enough to create a score.
There are also bulletins from Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Poland.
The service also features news produced in languages like Punjabi and Hindi, Arabic and Indonesian.
A total of 35 languages are represented in WorldWatch.
Among the news services that appear regularly on WorldWatch are bulletins produced by 20 Heures in France, YTN in South Korea, and RTP in Portugal. Photo: SBS’ WorldWatch
SBS management has responded to the Sydney Morning Herald ratings report with a statement suggesting that ‘thousands’ are tuning in to WorldWatch every month.
The metric the broadcaster uses takes into account the number of people who tune in to the platform to watch more than five minutes at a time.
Mandi Wicks, SBS’s news and current affairs director, told the publication that the platform’s viewership was “stable and growing.”
Meanwhile, the SBS-produced Arabic and Mandarin news service, hosted by WorldWatch, continues to struggle to attract an audience.