Seven has pulled Australian Spartan from Sunday night prime time viewing after its ratings plummeted over the weekend.
In only its second show, Australian Spartan’s average overnight metro ratings dropped by 36% to 524,000 viewers.
Nine’s Married at First Sight scored nearly three times as many viewers with 1.25 million, forcing Seven’s hand to hook the show in which teams of contestants race through an obstacle course.
Spartan will take a two-week hiatus from the linear TV schedule and return to a prime time slot when the 2018 AFL season kicks off around Easter.
AdNews understands a night for its return has not yet been determined but losing the important Sunday evening prime time slot is a major blow for a program that was seen by many as challenger to Nine’s breakthrough hit of 2017, Australian Ninja Warrior.
“Despite the best efforts of a great team on both sides of the camera, the show has not done the job it needed to do in its current time slot,” Seven’s director of programming Angus Ross tells AdNews.
“The series will return with fifteen teams entering the Spartan arena to compete in the finals deciders shows, leading to the ultimate test of endurance, strength and teamwork and $150,000 in prize money.”
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