Local shows rule on Oz pay TV

Almost two thirds of the highest-rating shows aired on Australian pay TV channels, excluding sport, in 2013 were homegrown, according to a new report.

Sport continues as the most popular genre on pay TV, with 550,000 viewers tuning into the World Cup qualifier between Australia and Iraq in June.

Lifestyle and movies were the next most popular, according to the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA).

The most watched shows (excluding sports) were Selling Houses Australia, Grand Designs Australia, Location Location Location Australia and River Cottage Australia (all on Foxtel’s The Lifestyle Channel), Oprah Winfrey’s interview with cyclist Lance Armstrong (Discovery), The Walking Dead (FX) and Australia’s Next Top Model (Fox8).

The most popular movies were Men in Black 3, Skyfall, The Avengers, Battleship, Total Recall and Jack Reacher, all on Foxtel Movies Premiere.

In 2012/13 the subscription television industry invested A$700m (US$620m) in local productions, creating 6,600 Australian jobs and injecting A$1.6bn to the local economy, said ASTRA CEO Andrew Maiden.

The 50 most watched sport broadcasts included soccer, cricket, AFL, rugby union and NRL matches played predominantly in winter.