Cracks in House Rules ratings

Nick and Chris from Channel 7's "House Rules". Source: Supplied

HOUSE Rules looks like it is in need of renovation after being hammered by The Block Sky High last night.

The launch episode of Channel 7's new home reno reality series could only nail 803,000 viewers nationally.

The Block Sky High demolished its rival with 1.308 million viewers nationally.

House Rules was also crushed by The Voice which averaged 1.597 million viewers.

The House Rules launch result is a blow for Seven. The network had hoped the show, hosted by Johanna Griggs, would strip hundreds of thousands of viewers from its Nine rival.

House Rules rated especially poorly in Sydney with only 171,000 viewers - just over half of the 331,000 that watched The Block Sky High.

Seven executives will be hoping House Rules figures improve tonight and tomorrow night.

Griggs had been upbeat about House Rules chance of success in recent days.

"We could not be investing as much time, energy and money into a program if we didn't think it was going to be a success," Griggs said.

Nine would be worried that The Voice, despite being last night's number one show, has dropped under 1.6 million viewers for the second night in a row.

That figure is way off the more than two and a half million viewers the talent show was averaging last year.

The Block contestants Johnno and Trixie Johnson from Queensland have selected the penthouse on level five to renovate. Courtesy The Block, Nine Network.

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Fiery Delta v Seal clash wins ratings

Delta Goodrem and Seal took the showdown phase literally clashing openly over Michelle Martinez performance. Courtesy The Voice, Nine Network.

THE Voice coaches Delta Goodrem and Seal took the showdown phase of the reality TV competition literally, with the rival superstars clashing openly over one of his contestant's performances.

The pop diva had told Team Seal singer Michelle Martinez her sassy rendition of Lloyd’s hip hop hit Dedication To An Ex was not up to her usual vocal standard, feedback which was later rejected by her coach Seal who attempted to "respectfully disagree" with Goodrem describing the performance as "flawless".

Goodrem was visibly angry at being chipped and when filming continued during the ad break, involving all four coaches and destined for The Voice’s website, she took Seal to task over his public critique and defended her opinions.

The heated exchange left Ricky Martin and Joel Madden looking for the exits, while a calm Seal continued to back Martinez and Goodrem attempted to set the record straight and argued "she can do better".

After Ben Goldstein delivered a rousing performance, Delta Goodrem had no option but to flirt with him to get him in her team. Courtesy: The Voice, Nine Network.

Producers stepped in to play peacemaker, with Goodrem impressing her TV bosses by "gathering herself quickly and getting over it".

In some judicious editing, Goodrem's immediate reaction to Seal's correction, as well as the full debrief after the performance (which was also caught on film) was not put to air.

It is not the first time the two have had words, with Goodrem left to cringe after Seal misunderstood her use of the word "brother" which he interpreted as being a reference to his skin colour as they gave American-born singer Steve Clisby feedback.

A more intense moment in the blind auditions - when Goodrem challenged Seal over his post-show coaching of last year's winner Karise Eden - also hit the cutting room floor.

The coaching battle was only overshadowed by stunning appearances from Team Ricky’s Karen Andrews aka Miss Murphy and Team Seal favourite Harrison Craig.

See Delta Goodrem's on air blunder after Steve Clisby's rendition of Barry White's 'I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love'

Channelling the powerhouse alter ego that allows her to overcome behind-the-scenes nerves, Andrews was at her best with an emotionally raw rendition of Elton John’s Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word.

Melbourne’s title contender Craig, who remains the iTunes chart leader to beat this year, was praised for his "spell-binding" performance of Michael Buble’s Home.

Four singers from Team Ricky and Team Seal sang for survival, with viewers now given the power to vote their favourites through to the finals.

The artist with the highest public vote will advance immediately to the finals, while the lowest will be eliminated during Tuesday’s live results show. The two left standing will then sing for their coach’s vote.

The Voice contestant Kiyomi Vella has been told by Seal that there should be no safety net when going for your dreams. Credit: Nine

Monday night’s show will feature Team Delta’s Rob Edwards, Jackie Sannia, Josh Kyle and Steve Clisby; as well as Team Joel’s Danni Hodson, Adam Garrett, Kiyomi Vella and Michael Paynter.  

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'MKR doesn't need a stir for ratings'

Mick Newell who went on  My Kitchen Rules with his son Matt says the show shouldn't have shown the questionable antics of some contestants as it set a bad example for young viewers. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis Source: News Limited

MICK Newell has hit out at the makers of My Kitchen Rules for ramping up the controversy on this year's series of the Channel 7 cooking show.

The Tasmanian dad says he was shocked by the attention given to the antics of some of this year's contestants - particularly Ashlee Pham and Sophia Pou.

Mick says some contestants have been setting a bad example for young viewers and that the show doesn't need controversy to succeed in the ratings.

Mick and son Matt beat Pham and Pou in the Comeback Kitchen section to make the finals but were eliminated by Queensland's Jake and Elle Harrison on Wednesday night.

"I didn’t like the bitchiness in it and I didn’t like the Ashlee and Sophia comments," Mick says.

"I know it (Ashlee and Sophia) was probably controversial and got publicity and everything, but I think just as many people would have watched it (MKR) without it as did with it.

"I really do think it (My Kitchen Rules) would be a lot better show without that."

My Kitchen Rules appeals to a broad audience, particularly families. That has led to it rating more than 2 million viewers nationally on numerous occasions this year.

Over the last week that figure has dropped slightly as it has been challenged by Nine's talent series The Voice.

"A lot of children watch this show and just I don’t think it (bad behaviour) is a good thing to have on there for them.

"You might get a few influenced to be like that - it's not a good thing."

Mick describes competing on My Kitchen Rules as a "life changing experience".

The former abalone diver has landed a lucrative hosting job on Tasmanian radio station 7HO since appearing on the show.

"I would recommend this show to anyone who is strong-willed and not prone to breaking down," he says.

"You don't have to be a great cook but you have to like cooking and be willing to learn as you go along."

"Matt and I put a barrier up from day one. We stuck to ourselves mainly. We didn't socialise a great deal. We played our own game."

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The Voice smashes MKR in ratings

The Voice Australia coaches Seal, Joel Madden, Delta Goodrem and Ricky Martin perform Rihannas hit Diamonds. Picture: Channel Nine Source: news.com.au

THE much-hyped return of The Voice has paid off for Channel Nine, with the show smashing Seven's previously unbeatable rival, My Kitchen Rules.

The debut episode of the second season of The Voice Australia raked in 1.828 million viewers to My Kitchen Rules' 1.406 million.

It was a huge night of television with MKR adding an extra Sunday night episode in the hope of challenging Nine's ratings blockbuster which was the most watched show of 2012.

Seven pinned their hopes of a ratings win on giving eliminated contestants a chance to win their way back into the competition via a comeback kitchen cook-off in hot-headed judge Colin Fassnidge's restaurant.

While crowd favourites Mick and Matt were triumphant by winning the spot, the concept was not enough to steal intrigued and loyal Voice viewers from Nine.

Tasmania's Mick and his son Matt have been booted off My Kitchen Rules after a dramatic sudden death cook-off. Source: Supplied

The reality singing contest was the most watched program of the night, with most of the talk about new coach Ricky Martin, Delta's new invigoration for the competition and Darren McMullen's unsightly shaggy hair.

"Delta, if you really are dating Darren McMullen, please tell him to brush that bloody hair off his face! #TheVoiceAU" wrote Lauren Edwards.

While Drew Sheldrick added: "Can we get Ricky to fix Darren McMullen's hair at some stage. Yikes #TheVoiceAu"

STL Pub date: 07/04/2013 Page: - 04/04/2013 NEWS: The Voice host Darren McMullen pictured at Daringhurst today. Pic. Ruttyn Sam N22838061 Picture: Ruttyn Sam Source: The Sunday Telegraph

The debut episode showcased some incredible talent, with Nine lining up some stellar performers in the hope of retaining viewer interest for the second season.

The network also enjoyed healthy figures for the The Logies, with the help of a bumper lead-in from The Voice at 8pm.

While many complained about the length of the telecast - the Gold Logie winner was not announced until well after midnight - the show garnered 1.093 million viewers.

The red carpet arrivals rated significantly better with 1.571 million tuning in to rate the fashion and the frocks.

Over on Ten, The Biggest Loser suffered with the fierce competition from Nine and Seven.

Despite an explosive episode in which Kevin "Big Kev" Moore - the heaviest contestant worldwide at 254kg - and his mother Rosemary were eliminated after a heated exchange, the show only managed to pull in 849,000, down significantly on previous weeks.

Kevin "Big Kev" Moore and his mother Rosemary have been eliminated from The Biggest Loser. Picture: Channel Ten Source: news.com.au

Ten had given much promotion to the episode, in which Rosemary unleashed an epic rant on trainer Michelle Bridges, peppered with F-bombs and denials that her son had been caught cooking popcorn chicken and was not following the meal plan.

The pair were eliminated after losing just a combined 2.4kg for the week.

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Block finale hammers rivals in ratings

Watch the nail biting moment that Phil and Amity win The Block All-Stars. Courtesy: Nine Network

THE Channel 9 renovation show finale nailed a massive 2.119 million viewers nationally as winners Phil and Amity Rankine pocketed $295,000 profit and $100,000 prize money.

Last night's episode was so strong that it beat 2013 ratings monster My Kitchen Rules (which averaged just 1.563 million – one of its poorest results this season).

For The Block victor Amity Rankine, while nothing compares to the birth of a child, the dizzying moment when her Bondi heritage semi emerged the winner of the series' climactic auction reminded her of the blur of emotion and confusion which followed the delivery of her daughter, Poppy.

Like that life-changing moment when she had to ask husband Phil to "double-check" the couple had in fact welcomed a baby girl, Rankine says she was not sure, amid the cries and jubilation, the pair had pulled ahead in the bidding to clinch the first All-Stars series of the Channel 9 ratings hit.

The Block Winners Phil and Amity at their house in Bondi.

In the dramatic finale, the blue house favourites pocketed $295,000 profit and $100,000 prize money after their renovated Federation cottage sold for $1.67 million under the hammer, beating out rivals Josh and Jenna Densten by just a $20,000 margin.

The action-packed auctions took contestants and viewers alike on a roller-coaster with the Denstens first to market and scoring a massive profit of $275,000 on their property which sold for $1.375m.

Inside Phil & Amity's winning home. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

But celebrations were soured when the hard luck pairing of Mark Bowyer and Duncan Miller took a hit on their terrace, selling for just $25,000 above their $1.345m reserve.

It was a bitter blow for the tradie mates who endured a torrid time on the series, with Bowyer's wife diagnosed with skin cancer and then rushed to hospital himself after suffering a suspected heart attack.

Inside Mark & Duncan's house. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Spirits were lifted in the third auction when Melbourne couple Dani Wales and Dan Reilly banked a tidy $220,000 profit for their terrace (selling for $1.575m), but it came down to the last bid on the last auction to seal it for the Adelaide couple, who juggled the supervision of their two children during the renovation.

Professional singer, Amity, who will leverage her TV fame with an east coast tour of her stage show starting in May, said the heady auction experience made for a better time than when the couple finished last during their first appearance on The Block in 2003.

"I could have thrown up or passed out...I've never been so nervous about anything in my whole life. The pressure of everyone saying we were going to win felt like we were jinxed."

But after host Scott Cam confirmed the result, she said: "literally all the cliches in the book, my head was spinning, I couldn't hear anything, I was crying, it was just amazing."

Phil Rankine, who earned fan favouritism for his love of coffee martinis, revealed they toasted their victory with more of the cocktails and champagne and a party that ended in the wee hours yesterday.

Their win was vindication after the final weeks of competition became a tense affair after Dan and Dani conspired with Josh and Jenna to rob the Rankines of a room victory.

But Amity said last night: "everyone congratulated everybody. Aside from Mark and Duncan, which was really upsetting, everybody did so well how could you not be happy walking away with between $200,000 and $275,000. That certainly cooled any tensions because everyone got a reward for their efforts."

Josh & Jenna and Dan & Dani looking nervous before auction time. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

The show's producers were also popping the cork on another successful spin-off, with the All-Star season earning its contenders a total of $815,000 in profits.

But local property experts warned while the auction results were "strong" for the Bondi area, there was no "real world" profit in the outcome.

Bondi real estate expert Ric Serrao, principal at Raine & Horne Double Bay, said the results achieved at The Block auction were strong for the current Bondi market. But when taking into consideration what had been spent on the homes, there is not that much profit left over.

"If you're looking to flick a Bondi house like that then you'd need to spend somewhere in the area of $250,000 to $300,000 to renovate, then consider stamp duty and holding costs," Mr Serrao said.

"I think The Block is a great show, I think it's fun. But if people really think they can do the same thing themselves, and they're not professionals, then they're getting the wrong message," he said.

Last night’s ratings result is a massive boost for Nine which has a new series of The Block starting later in the year.

Contestants on the next series of The Block will renovate a motel in bayside South Melbourne.

Scott Cam and Shelly Craft at The Block auctions. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

THE  BLOCK ALL STAR PROFITS

$815,000

Auction reserves and sale prizes

Phil and Amity
Reserve $1.375m
Sales $1.67m
Profit: $295,000

Josh and Jenna
Reserve $1.375m
Auction result $1.65m
Profit $275,000

Dani and Dan
Reserve $1.355m
Auction result $1.575m
Profit $220,000

Mark and Duncan
Reserve $1.345m
Auction result $1.370m
Profit $25,000

Winners are grinners: Phil & Amity. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

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TV ratings war set to get ugly

Ricky Martin is set to draw a big audience to Season Two of The Voice Australia. Source: Supplied

• The Biggest Loser: The Next Generation launches tonight
• Experts predict The Voice will do well this year
• Family obesity in the spotlight

CHANNEL 10 is set to fire the first shot in what could be one of the bloodiest TV ratings battles in years when it launches The Biggest Loser: The Next Generation tonight.

Ten has re-vamped its weight-loss show, hosted by Hayley Lewis, to focus on parents and kids that are fighting the fat.

Bitter rivals Seven and Nine will unleash a torrent of new shows after Easter as they try to gain ratings supremacy.

Foxtel will weigh in with new Aussie drama Wentworth, a re-imagining of cult classic Prisoner, and the third season of cult hit Game of Thrones.

“The competition will be intense and the margin between Seven and Nine, especially, is likely to narrow,” media analyst Steve Allen says.

Seven has been the big winner in the first quarter of 2013 thanks to My Kitchen Rules, which has averaged around 1.8 million viewers nationally.

Nine is set to hit back with the second season of ratings monster The Voice with new judge Ricky Martin.

The talent show averaged upwards of 2 million viewers per episode last year.

“The Voice will do well - close to 90 per cent of last year’s ratings,” Maxus Global’s Mark McCraith says.

See what score the experts gave the shows below

Nine’s biggest risk is The Great Australian Bake Off, hosted by Shane Jacobson and Anna Gare.

Contestants bake everything from bread to cakes, biscuits and scones.

Bake Off is Nine’s first attempt at a prime time cooking show - a market that is already dominated by Seven’s MKR and Ten’s MasterChef Australia.

Seven is taking risks of its own. One of the biggest is new renovation show House Rules, hosted by Johanna Griggs.

Six state-based couples switch keys and given the challenge of renovating each other’s homes.

Seven management hopes that House Rules, from the producers of My Kitchen Rules, will replicate the ratings success of Nine’s renovation hit The Block.

“I expect House Rules to rate based on the winning formula of My Kitchen Rules but it will skew heavily to the 55-plus market,” Mr McCraith says.

Vote on which show you won't miss below

Another wild card is new Aussie drama A Place to Call Home from Packed to the Rafters and Winners & Losers creator Bevan Lee.

A family saga set in the 1950s, A Place to Call Home stars Noni Hazlehurst, Brett Climo and Marta Dusseldorp.

Seven also has high hopes for the return of The Mole as well as Celebrity Splash which, as its title suggests, features well-known celebrities attempting to dive gracefully into a swimming pool.

Overseas versions of Celebrity Splash have rated strongly.

Nine will also screen a second season of hit Aussie drama House Husbands, with Gary Sweet, Firass Dirani and Julia Morris. Nine’s new US shows include Kevin Bacon hit The Following and super hero drama Arrow.

Seven will also screen new British dramas Mr Selfridge, starring Entourage’s Jeremy Piven, and Mrs Biggs, with Sheridan Smith as Charmaine Biggs, wife of Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs.

Channel Ten is likely to begin a new series of MasterChef Australia in June. Nine will roll out Celebrity Apprentice Australia and Underbelly: Squizzy in coming months.

HITS AND MISSES

Channel 7

House Rules (8 out of 10)
Aussie renovation show where contestants switch keys to each other’s houses.
Verdict: This is from the makers of My Kitchen Rules so storytelling will be strong. Likely to nail viewers.

Celebrity Splash (6 out of 10)
Celebrity-based diving show
Verdict: Overseas versions don’t inspire confidence. Could take on water quickly. Likely to sink.

The Mole (7 out of 10)
Revamped Aussie reality show where contestants have to discover a traitor.
Verdict: New host Shura Taft is in his element. Expect ratings similar to The Amazing Race Australia.

A Place to Call Home (8 out of 10)
1950s family saga features a cast including Noni Hazlehurst, Brett Climo and Marta Dusseldorp.
Verdict: Created by Bevan Lee, the man behind Packed to the Rafters and Winners & Losers. You can’t beat that track record.

Mr Selfridge (6 out of 10)
British Period Drama about department store tycoon Harry Gordon Selfridge
Verdict: Parade’s End showed that it is hard for any other UK period drama to replicate Downton Abbey ratings.

Mrs Biggs (7 out of 10)
British drama about Charmaine Biggs, wife of Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs
Verdict: Partly filmed in Australia, Mrs Biggs should resonate with local audiences keen to learn more about the personal impact of the Great Train Robbery.

Channel 10

The Biggest Loser: The Next Generation (8 out of 10)
Weight loss reality show featuring parents and kids
Verdict: A ratings perennial that has been given a compelling makeover.

Channel 9

The Voice (9 out of 10)
Aussie talent show
Verdict: Will Ricky Martin be as popular as Keith Urban? Yes. Expect an encore of those 2 million-plus ratings.

The Great Australian Bake Off (7 out of 10)
Aussie cooking show
Verdict: More specialised than MasterChef and My Kitchen Rules, and that could limit Bake-Off’s appeal.

The Following (7 out of 10)
US drama stars Kevin Bacon as FBI agent hunting serial killers
Verdict: Mainstream audience likely to flinch at the violence. Will appeal to fans of Criminal Minds and Law & Order: SVU.

Arrow (7 out of 10)
US super hero saga starring Stephen Amell as costumed crime fighter.
Verdict: Superheroes dominate movies but have struggled on the small screen. Hard to see Arrow being a breakout hit.

Foxtel

Wentworth (9 out of 10)
Reimagining of classic Aussie drama Prisoner. Cast includes Danielle Cormack and Nicole da Silva.
Verdict: The first episode is a cracker – every bit as good as Underbelly.

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Poor ratings raining on the parade

Australia's Adelaide Clemens plays Valentine in new period drama Parade's End. Picture: Channel Nine Source: Supplied

• Disastrous debut for Parade's End on Nine
• Rave reviews for Downtown Abbey-type drama
• Adelaide Clemens captivating in Parade's End

CHANNEL 9's answer to Downton Abbey - Parade's End - bombed in the ratings last night.

Parade's End, the acclaimed British period drama starring Australian beauty Adelaide Clemens and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch crashed with a dismal 453,000 viewers nationally for its debut episode.

The second hour of Parade's End dropped even further - to a disastrous 322,000 viewers nationally.

Parade's End was easily beaten by Seven’s Last Resort (771,000) as well as the ABC's QI (759,000) and The Agony of Life (688,000), and Ten's Mr & Mrs Murder (596,000).

"Here we have Nine’s first outright failure, and nearly all the critics got it wrong," media analyst Steve Allen says.

Channel Nine's Parade's End had a disappointing debut. Picture: Supplied

The BBC mini-series, based on the stories of Ford Maddox Ford and scripted by Tom Stoppard, has received rave reviews but was always a strange fit for Channel 9.

The success of Downton Abbey, which screens on Channel Seven in Australia, has spawned a rash of British historical dramas including the re-boot of Upstairs Downstairs and The Paradise.

None of them have matched Downton Abbey’s ratings.

Last night’s ratings were dominated by Seven's My Kitchen Rules which averaged a whopping 1.753 million viewers nationally.

Rankings

1. My Kitchen Rules Seven 1.753m

2. The Block Nine 1.294m

3. Nine News Nine 1.202m

4. Seven News Seven 1.131m

5. A Current Affair Nine 0.964m

6. Today Tonight Seven 0.962m

7. ABC News ABC 0.960m

8. Home and Away Seven 0.901m

9. Last Resort – Episode 1 Seven 0.771m

10. QI ABC 0.759m

11. 7:30 ABC 0.691m

12. The Agony of Life ABC 0.688m

13. Hot Property Nine 0.685m

14. Ten News Ten 0.657m

15. Hot Seat Nine 0.624m

View the original article here

Ten makes up for lost ratings

MasterChef The Professionals ... Matt Preston with Marco Pierre White / Pic: Channel 10 Source: The Daily Telegraph

CHANNEL 10 is getting creamed in the live TV ratings, but is making up significant ground in catch-up viewing.

Fusion Strategy analysis shows that Ten programs - including MasterChef: The Professionals - are posting gains of between 40 and 50 per cent once time-shifted ratings are factored in.

In recent weeks MasterChef: The Professionals jumped 53 per cent, Hawaii Five-O rose 42 per cent, The Good Wife was up 36 per cent and Elementary 31 per cent with viewers aged 16 to 54.

Glee, which was recently shunted from Ten to digital channel Eleven, posted a whopping 84 per cent gain once delayed viewing was added in.

Seven's My Kitchen Rules and Nine's The Block: All Stars have dominated the TV ratings, hurting Ten.

My Kitchen Rules is averaging five hours per week and The Block All Stars around seven hours per week.

Other big winners have been Downton Abbey, Revenge and Packed to the Rafters.

Fusion's Steve Allen says Ten is getting squeezed in the war between rivals Seven and Nine.

"Ten and its programs are not presently a priority for first viewing (by Aussie audiences),'' Mr Allen says.

"These (My Kitchen Rules and The Block: All Stars) are the Trojan horses that are smashing audiences, and particularly live audiences on Ten.

The TV series Glee was recently moved from Ten to digital channel Eleven due to falling ratings.

"That said, Ten has experienced extraordinary levels of time shifted viewing.

"That points to a lack of priority viewing, but not necessarily less popularity of specific (Ten) shows generally.''

Ten has high hopes for The Biggest Loser: The Next Generation, which will roll out later this month.

Channel Nine's The Block All Stars has been a ratings winner for the network.

Suspected heart attack puts a halt on hard work during Channel Nine's The Block. Nine Network

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Glee shunted after abysmal ratings

Award-winning series Glee has been shunted to digital channel Eleven after poor ratings on Channel 10. Source: Supplied

• Glee watched by just 269,000 viewers on Wednesday
• Glee will be replaced by repeat episodes of Modern Family
• Dean Geyer keep faith with Glee

CHANNEL 10 has shunted Glee to digital channel Eleven after poor ratings so far this year.

Glee, the award-winning US musical series featuring Lea Michele and Jane Lynch, averaged a dismal 269,000 viewers in its 7.30pm time slot on Wednesday night.

Glee’s poor ratings are thought to have hurt the premiere of Mr & Mrs Murder in the Wednesday 8.30pm time slot.

Dean Geyer plays Brody Weston in Glee. Picture: Supplied

The Aussie murder-mystery series, starring Shaun Micallef and Kat Stewart, averaged 782,000 viewers nationally - a solid result given the poor Glee lead-in figure.

Glee was crushed by Seven's My Kitchen Rules (1.76 million viewers) and Nine's The Block: All Stars (1.04 million).

Glee actress Lea Michele at the 39th Annual People's Choice Awards in LA in January. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

"Glee is clearly not performing well in its current timeslot on Ten," a Ten spokesperson says.

Glee will be replaced on Ten by repeats of Modern Family. 

Ten will be hoping the program change will boost Mr & Mrs Murder ratings in coming weeks.

View the original article here

Online streaming in TV ratings mix

By September, Nielsen will reportedly have hardware in place that will measure the streaming capacity of 23,000 US homes of TV watchers that it samples. Picture: Bruce Rolff Source: Supplied

The company that measures TV ratings, Nielsen is set to change the definition of what constitutes television watching to include online streaming, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

By September, Nielsen will reportedly have hardware in place that will measure the streaming capacity of 23,000 US homes of TV watchers that it samples. The technology will capture what people are watching on services such as Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, XBox, PlayStation as well as cable, satellite and free-to-air TV.

It will also take iPad and streaming on other tablets into consideration, however a second phase will reportedly be needed to ensure more accurate and comprehensive data.

The news could have some wide-ranging consequences for the Australian TV market.

For a start, whether you watch TV on your iPad, PC or television may no longer matter. Or at least matter less. And commercial networks might finally consider letting streaming apps like Hulu onto the market.

At the minute, no commercial TV network in Australia has a live streaming app. Both the ABC and SBS have apps for the iPad, as well as Foxtel.

However, not everyone is convinced.

James Manning editor of Media Week told News.com.au that web streaming just does not suit the business models of commercial tv networks in Australia.

"They want to keep those audiences watching free to air tv, live, better business model to get advertisers like that too," he said.

"It will change eventually, yes, but I think it's going to be a slow process."

However, Mr Manning acknowledged that Foxtel stood to benefit the most, should the reports of Nielsen's changes be confirmed.

"The people who will be affected here are Foxtel with their FoxtelGo app which will soon have 50 channels streaming live," he said.

"The current TV ratings system won't capture that so they'd like that to happen here I guess.

"All those viewers would get counted."

Nielsen has not returned news.com.au's request for comment.

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