Analyst says ‘Masterchef’ Finale Split a 'Strategic Mistake'

A media analyst claims that splitting the MasterChef finale last August 7, may not be a good strategic move by Channel Ten.

Ten first aired MasterChef from 6:30p .m. to 7:30 p.m. then again from 8:30p.m. to 9:30p.m. Instead of a two-hour finale, Ten decided to insert its new make-over home show, “The Renovators”.

Citing the ratings data that came out Monday after the show’s finale Sunday, The Sydney Morning Herald noted that “MasterChef” had a good 1.8 million viewers from five states in Newcastle during the first part of the finale from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30pm.

But the number dropped down by 1.2 million with a 600,000 viewers who opted not stick around for “The Renovators”.

A significant increase in viewers of 2.3 million was again recorded when MasterChef slated the second part of its finale by 8:30 p.m. to 9:30p.m.

Steve Allen, a media consultant from Fusion Energy is saying that the decrease in viewership in between the two-part finale may not be a good move.

'Whether breaking it into two pieces and inserting another program caused the loss of audience or not we can't be too sure, but the guess is yes,” Allen was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.

The decrease in audience is not what Channel Ten was expecting for when they devised the plan to split the finale.

''Obviously the ratings for the final night were less than what Ten had hoped for and less than what was forecast,'' Allen added.

And the network is expected to learn from it and its competitors not to follow his lead.

''Whether breaking it into two pieces and inserting another program caused the loss of audience or not we can't be too sure, but the guess is yes, it's been a strategic mistake (and) I don't think Ten will do that again,” the media analyst concluded.

MasterChef has reportedly topped the audience ratings in Newcastle but its average rating was 16 percent lower than last year. This year’s winner is 36-year-old Kate Bracks from Orange, NSW.