Why can't X Factor be LIVE to all markets?

I have to say I cringe whenever I hear the X Factor ads saying “live across Australia” knowing full well the show does not air live in those markets not on eastern daylight saving time.

Maybe someone in another time zone can tell me if Seven push X Factor being live when it is not outside of AEDT? Because we sure do get bombarded with the fact it is live in the Sydney market. But it airs at 7.30pm in all markets, local time. That’s as much as three hours later for WA viewers.

Now how hard would it be to make X Factor live to all markets?

Yes, Sydney and Melbourne are the most important two markets but Brisbane and Adelaide see the show on delay, while Perth have to wait three hours – they can see the news and results on social media hours before the show airs on Seven.

In this age of social media and second screen viewing of TV, I would think doing what you can to make the show live everywhere would now be important. However, given the X Factor rates through the roof regardless, I don’t think anything will change.

That aside, here is my idea of how Seven could deliver the X Factor live to ALL markets.

It would mean an 8pm start AEDT, 7pm in QLD and 7.30 in SA. WA would get the show at 5pm, but – they’d have to air it on 7TWO so as not to interfere with the 6pm news.

The programming would go something like this…

Sydney and Melbourne:

The 8pm start means an extra half hour of programming is added on Monday and Tuesday nights. I’ve chosen to take Highway Patrol and Surveillance Oz from Wednesday to achieve this, and move Amazing Race to Wednesday 7.30pm, rather than having a very late start on Monday night.

Monday  
7.00 Home and Away Mon
7.30 Highway Patrol
8.00 The X Factor LIVE
9.30 Scandal / Castle
10.30 Up All Night
11.00 Suits

Tuesday
7.00 Home and Away Tue
7.30 Surveillance Oz
8.00 The X Factor results LIVE
9.10 Winners & Losers
10.10 Grey’s Anatomy

Wednesday
7.00 Home and Away Wed
7.3o The Amazing Race
8.30 Criminal Minds
9.30 Police Videos

Adelaide

Here – the X Factor would start at 7.30pm – which is 8pm AEDT – so their programming for Seven would be as it is now for all markets.

Monday  
7.00 Home and Away Mon
7.30 The X Factor LIVE
9.00 Scandal / Castle
10.00 The Amazing Race
11.00 Up All Night
11.30 Suits

Tuesday
7.00 Home and Away Tue
7.30 The X Factor results LIVE
8.40 Winners & Losers
9.40 Grey’s Anatomy

Wednesday
7.00 Home and Away Wed
7.3o Highway Patrol
8.00 Surveillance Oz
8.30 Criminal Minds
9.30 Police Videos

Brisbane

Being one hour behind AEDT during daylight saving means X Factor would have to start at 7pm in Brisbane. The way to handle that, is move Home & Away for two nights.
Monday
7.00 The X Factor LIVE
8.30 Scandal / Castle
9.30 The Amazing Race
10.30 Up All Night
11.00 Suits
Tuesday
7.00 The X Factor LIVE results
8.10 Highway Patrol
8.40 Surveillance Oz
9.10 Winners & Losers
10.10 Grey’s Anatomy
Wednesday
7.00 Home & Away Mon
7.30 Home & Away Tue
8.00 Home & Away Wed
8.30 Criminal Minds
9.30 Police Videos
What about Perth?
Three hours behind means the X Factor would air live at 5pm WA time and finish around 6.30pm live for the performance show on Monday and around 6.10 on results show Tuesday. They would have to air X Factor on 7TWO to keep it live and not affect 6pm News, then play delayed on the main channel so as to keep ratings up. Perth would therefore have the choice of following either the AEDT schedule or Adelaide’s – which would probably be better – where X Factor could air at 7.30pm local time, after already airing on 7TWO earlier.
That way, viewers could chose to watch earlier if they want and therefore be able to contribute to social media live, or watch later at a more comfortable time.
And what about NT?
Well – the forgotten timzone – an hour and a half behind AEDT means X Factor would then start at 6.30pm local time. They (would be Southern Cross up there, not Seven) could leave out Today Tonight – which is highly unlikely, or just show half an hour late using the Brisbane schedule – which I suggest would be the most likely outcome for NT – they wouldn’t have X Factor live, but only half an hour behind.
Would half an hour behind be that bad? Well – ask anyone who currently watches X Factor half an hour behind in SA!
Would Seven ever consider this move?
In short – NO! The show rates well enough as it is, and the social side – while very important is not big enough yet to justify the complication of a severely split market to accommodate a prime time show like X Factor live to all markets.
Having said that though – I believe there would be merit in using the live to all markets option for the finale.

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  • http://twitter.com/johnsonleung Johnson Leung

    Your plan has merit but airing the show live on 7TWO, then on Seven in WA, will dilute ratings (however it complies with classification guidelines as a PG program can be shown at anytime on digital channels).
    For the record, the X-Stream (in which Johnny Ruffo chats with contestants backstage during the performance show) is broadcast live online at 7.30pm AEDT. And the US version of The X Factor is shown live on the east coast and delayed on the west coast.

  • Tim

    Big Brother as well.

  • alvar

    much simpler solution – live on 7TWO and delayed on Seven for markets outside of AEDT – like the ABC does with Q&A. But there’s no chance of that happening while Seven are dominating the ratings.

    It is promoted as “live” in Perth as well – outrageous for a city that is so loyal to Seven.