Seven Sharp ratings bounce back

TVNZ will be relieved to see ratings level out for its new Seven Sharp show. Photo / Supplied

Seven Sharp has cut back from its low point last night to return its lead over Campbell Live in the 7pm timeslot for the total audience.

Last night's result is a step back from the brink for the show.

It will be a relief for TVNZ after Tuesday's unprecedented loss of the timeslot.

But warning signs remain with Campbell Live winning among people in the 25-54 age group - not just for this timeslot, but for the entire night.

Both TV One and TV3 target people in the 25-54 age group.

TV3 has won the night before on Fridays, but it is rare to have won other nights.

Nielsen TAM Overnight ratings for Wednesday indicate Seven Sharp had 358,200 viewers aged over five year compared to 326,900 for Campbell Live.

That is a turnaround from Tuesday when it had 296,700 compared to 352,600 for the TV3 show. In the 25-54 age group, Campbell Live maintained a lead it established this week,

Commentators have welcomed some stability and presentation of Seven Sharp, but it needs to recover the former Close Up audience who have drifted away or build a new younger audience.

Significantly, the new lite magazine show format is not maintaining the audience delivered to it from One News.

According to Nielsen TAM figures for last night supplied by MediaWorks, One News had an audience 607,000 and Seven Sharp dropped to 349.900. Campbell Live kept the size of the audience delivered to it by 3 News.