âTheyâre unusual numbers, I have to say,â Mr Downes said. âBut we have seen it all through the pandemic. People want expertise, they want facts and they want serious analysis. They want the deep dive.â
In 2019, the average viewership for Prime Time was 267,000 and it had an audience share of about 20 per cent. In 2020, that increased to 362,000 and a 28 per cent share. There is little sign of fatigue to date. From the start of 2021 to mid-March, the audience averaged at 341,000.
âItâs a dividend of 100,000,â Mr Downes said. âAnd it is one of the reasons why weâre trying to refresh, or reboot, because we know that dividend isnât going to last forever.â