William & Kate

Last night, the Royal Wedding aired on five free to air channels and numerous pay TV channels on top of that.

The Wedding Ceremony itself was at 8pm Australian eastern standard time, 6pm in the west.

In New Zealand, where the ceremony aired from 10pm local time, it was watched by a combined audience of 1,376,000 viewers over the two channels it aired on. NZ’s TV ONE had the larger share of 884,190 viewers, while TV3 took the remainder of the audience. TVNZ used the BBC’s broadcast, and was watched by 51% of all men watching TV and 67% of all women watching TV.

The New Zealand combined ratings represents 31% of the country’s population, while reportedly over 2 million tuned into the broadcast on TV One at some stage, 1.4 million into TV3.

In the US, the Wedding went live to breakfast TV in the eastern time zones. The Ceremony was at 6am Friday US eastern time, 3am Pacific Time in the west. NBC Today had the Wedding live, and was able to be seen this morning in Australia on 7mate (pictured).

In the UK, where a public holiday marked the event, it is being reported that there has been a surge in electricity demand during the wedding. The expected national audience is least 20 million tuning in for the 11am (UK Time) ceremony. The electrical surge is the fourth highest to ever occur in the country caused by a television event and Royal Wedding ratings could be a new record for the modern television era.

[UPDATED] In Australia, close to 4 million watched the Wedding on free to air TV channels according to preliminary OzTam 5 city metro ratings. At least 1.2 million would have watched in regional centres, and possibly another million on Pay TV, making a national audience of around 6 million. Accurate figures will come out over the next few days. Click here for detailed Royal Wedding Ratings.

Globally, the audience is expected to be well over a billion viewers, possibly as high as 2 billion – around 30% of the entire population of the planet.

NZ Ratings: Nielsen TAM

UK source: Telegraph.uk

The day is finally here – April 29 – the day of the Royal Wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William. If you are planning to watch the ceremony, it is live on five free to air channels, as well as four pay TV channels. For those not interested, there are plenty of options to avoid the wedding, including Friday night NRL and AFL.

Royal Wedding Coverage summary – all times are eastern, unless otherwise specified:

Seven

Seven’s coverage starts at 4pm, live from London. It breaks for news at 6pm local (not WA), then continues from 6.30pm until 11.00pm. The ceremony itself is from 8.00pm eastern.

In Melbourne & Adelaide, Friday night AFL airs from 7.30pm on Seven, moving the wedding coverage to 7TWO. On 7TWO, it airs from 6pm.

WA: Royal Wedding 2pm – 7.30, then over to 7TWO thereafter. News at 7.30pm, AFL at 8pm.

Seven’s coverage features Chris Bath and Matt White. Chris Reason, Angela Cox and Adrian Brown will be outside Westminster Abbey as well as at various street parties and in Kate’s hometown of Bucklebury.

Nine

Nine’s coverage starts from 4pm. News is at 6pm, with A Current Affair at 6.30pm (eastern states only), live from London. Wedding coverage continues from 7.00pm until 11.00pm.

In Sydney and Brisbane, Friday Night NRL airs from 8.30pm, with the wedding airing on GEM.

In WA, Nine covers the wedding from 2pm local time, breaks at 4pm for Pyramid and News at 4.30, then continues from 5pm – 9pm on Nine and GEM.

Nine’s coverage features Karl Stephanovic and Lisa Wilkinson live from Buckingham Palace. Special guests include Dame Edna Everage and Royal Commentator James Whitaker. Live from Westminster Abbey is Tracey Grimshaw, Ita Buttrose and Kathy Lette.

GEM

The Royal Wedding airs live on GEM in HD in all markets from 7.00pm eastern. This, of course, is the simulcast of Nine’s coverage, but in HD. In Sydney and Brisbane, GEM is the only of Nine’s channels to air the wedding after 8.30pm when the NRL airs on Nine.

Ten

Ten’s coverage starts with the First at 5 News at 5pm. George Negus follows at 6.30pm (which will be at 6.00pm on SA, and not seen in WA).

Then at 7pm, it’s The Wedding Project, featuring Charlie and Dave who will cross live to London where Carrie Bickmore, Hamish McDonald, Lucy McDonald, and Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa are counting down the last hour before the Wedding kicks off.

At 8pm, it’s The Ceremony with Fitzy, Wippa and Lucy providing a light-hearted alternative to the Royal Wedding viewing. Fitzy & Wippa are live in London.

Then at 9.30pm, Celebrate Will & Kate – The Wedding Circle, featuring the girls from The Circle and Colin Lane on the couch debriefing and recapping the Wedding.

The Wedding Project, Ceremony and Wedding Circle are live into all markets. In WA, News at 5pm local time, then the Wedding Project at 5.30pm.

ABC1

Coverage starts from 6.00pm eastern, with a break for the news at 7pm local time, except for Perth, who get the news after the wedding at 8.40pm local time. Various BBC reporters, led by Huw Edwards will be stationed around Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and The Mall. Apart from Central London, reporters will file from other key locations in Britain such as St Andrews, where William & Kate went to University and Kate’s home village of Bucklebury.

There will be guest experts in the studios, Royal historians, Royal correspondents and fashion experts on hand to discuss various aspects of the event. After the wedding, the procession to Buckingham Palace will be covered as well as the historic balcony appearance and kiss.

Note that the planned ABC2 Commentary, hosted by the boys from the Chaser has been pulled and will no longer air.

UKTV

UKTV will also be broadcasting live the BBC’s coverage of the Royal Wedding, led by Huw Edwards. This is the same coverage that ABC1 will be using.

Those who have an IQ2, IQ-HD or the MyStar equivalent, there will also be HD coverage on UKTV HD. On Foxtel, that is channel 214.

UK TV’s coverage starts from 5pm eastern.

SKY NEWS

Sky News will be providing (no surprise here!) “UNRIVALLED” Royal Wedding coverage over its channels. From 6pm April 29, Sky News National (Ch 601) will cover the Royal Wedding. APAC Channel 648 will present a program called April 29: London Sunrise from 3pm-6pm on the day.

SKY NEWS HD will air on channel 201 (for iQHD subsribers) from 6am April 28 until 6am Monday May 2. Prior to the Wedding, the channel will feature reports on London and the preparations for the wedding, on the night, the wedding will be live in HD, then after the wedding, encores throughout the weekend for those who could not see it on the night.

CNN

Piers Morgan and Richard Quest head up CNN‘s coverage, reporting on the biggest royal wedding event since Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. On top of Morgan and Quest, other key CNN correspondents will cover the ceremonial to the personal, and what is happening at Westminster Abbey to the reactions of those around the world.

E!

Yes, it is on E! The Americans are more obsessed than some of us with the Royal Wedding and the E! Channel has coverage hosted by Giuliana Rancic and Dermot Oleary live from London.

Anyone who has watched Entertainment Tonight in recent weeks would have seen just how obsessed they are in the US – the show is wall to wall Royal Wedding, complete with crazy stuff like “ET’s exclusive 2am sneak peak using night vision!” Seriously!?

Like here is Australia, US networks are broadcasting news live from London.

YouTube

For the first time ever, live coverage can be seen YouTube via the Royal Channel. Yahoo7 also will be streaming live footage, using Seven’s broadcast.

Summary:

Serious Wedding coverage: ABC1, Seven, UKTV & Sky News
Slightly lighter: Nine and GEM
Light-Hearted: Ten
American Angle: CNN and E!.

The Royal Wedding.

Coverage starts at various times on numerous channels from the afternoon onwards looking at the lead up to the Wedding. If you only want to see the wedding itself, the Ceremony starts at 8pm eastern (7.30 SA & NT, 6.00 WA) and continues for an hour and a half. After that, is the procession to Buckingham Palace, which will culminate with the all important and ceremonial kiss on the balcony.

On free to air, its on ABC1, Seven (7TWO Vic & SA), Nine (not NSW & QLD who have NRL on), GEM and Ten and Pay TV coverage can be seen on UKTV, Sky News, CNN and E!. HD coverage is available free to air on GEM, on Sky News HD (Ch 201) for iQHD subscribers and UK TV HD for those with the appropriate package.

Click here for detailed Royal Wedding Programming.

The Chaser’s War on Everything, ABC2, 8.30pm

The Chaser boys may have lost the war against the Royal Wedding, so for those craving some Chaser action, feeling a little left out by the lack of the Chaser Royal Wedding Commentary, this two hours on ABC2 could just be what you need. Ricky Gervais Live: Politics follows at 10.27pm.

Come Dine With Me: Greece, SBS TWO, 6.30pm.

From the something different and a little out there department comes the Greek version of Come Dine with Me, where 4 or 5 complete strangers must prepare and cook a dinner party for each other often with hilarious results. You may have seen the Australian or the UK version on the Lifestyle channel – if you haven’t the concept used in My Kitchen Rules Instant Restaurant rounds is very similar. In Come Dine With me though, the contestants judge each other at the end of each night, and the winner of each round take away a cash prize usually of around AUD$2,000.

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, ELEVEN, 10.40pm.

Always good for a late night laugh as everybody’s favourite American-Scotsman, Craig Ferguson, takes late-night comedy to new and hilarious heights! Tonight’s guests include: Actor Tom Selleck; actress Odette Annable.

Movie: Left Bank, SBS ONE, 10.35pm.

Horror movie. When 22-year-old Marie discovers that the previous tenant of her boyfriend’s apartment had mysteriously vanished without trace, she begins to investigate the circumstances. Becoming completely obsessed, she eventually discovers that her new neighbourhood may be a dangerous, satanic place and that some mysteries should be left alone. In English, made in Belgium. Stars: Eline Kuppens, Matthias Schoenaerts, Sien Eggers

Movie: Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, GO!, 9.15pm

Heeey dudes, those awesome dudes Bill & Ted get another play on GO! Totally! Bill and Ted, with guidance from Rufus, must win the Battle of the Bands to save the future – and heavy metal. Killed by their evil Cyborg doubles, Bill and Ted must journey to hell and back in order to win the contest and, of course, the babes. Stars: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, William Sadler, Pam Grier

Movie: The Fog, GO!, 11.15pm

A thriller about a Northern California town that’s forced to contend with a thick fog. As the fog seeps through the town, the residents meet gruesome ends. Stars Tom Welling, Maggie Grace, Selma Blair, David Deray, Kenneth Welsh, Adrian Hough

Q&A: Is the Royal Romance Over?, ABC1, 8.30pm.

Tony Jones introduces a documentary that explores Australian’s unique relationship to Queen Elizabeth, followed by a special edition of Q&A.

William & Kate: The Royal Wedding Countdown, Nine, 7.30pm.

“Twas the night before the big wedding and Nine have put together a special with just 24 hours to go. Live from Buckingham Palace. Hosted by Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson with Leila McKinnon and Kathy Lette at Westminster Abbey.

The Game Plan, ONE HD, NRL version 8.30pm NRL markets, AFL version 7.30pm AFL markets.

Covers NRL in NRL markets, AFL in AFL markets. NRL version: Panellists Andrew Moore, Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach and Joel Caine bring you the show with 100% pure footy. NRL players and legends join the panel, plus Late Mail and the Front Row Forum. AFL version: Geelong captain Cameron Ling joins Anthony Hudson, Matthew Lloyd and Scott Cummings to dissect the week in footy, preview tonight’s Eagles v Demons match and run through the team ins and outs.

The Blasters, 7mate, 9.30pm.

Charge into the explosive world of demolition blasting as this program profiles a unique group of people who live and breathe the business.

Movie: Bewitched, GO!, 9.30pm.

A famous actor is hoping to revive his career by playing Darrin in a film version of the TV classic Bewitched. When Jack sees Isabel, he knows she’d be his perfect on-screen wife Samantha. (Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Michael Caine).

And where to go to avoid the Royal Wedding other than going out, hiring a DVD or watching content from other sources?

While plenty of channels are covering the Royal Wedding there are still a few not affected by it. Not to mention the fact that Friday night football also airs as usual in its respective markets.

Here’s the run-down (free to air only*):

Sport:

Sydney & Brisbane only: NRL on Nine airs from 8.30pm with the Canterbury Bulldogs playing the Brisbane Broncos at 8.30pm and South Sydney Rabbitohs taking on Cronulla Sharks at 10.30pm

AFL: Sydney vs. Carlton play, and it airs on Seven from 7.30pm in Melbourne and Adelaide, 8pm in Perth. Sydney and Brisbane viewers can see the game on 7mate from 7.30pm.

ONE HD: The NBL Grand Final Game 3 airs from 5.30pm eastern with the NZ Breakers against the Cairns Taipans. WWE experience is at 8pm, UFC Jake Sheilds Special at 9pm, then UFC Prime time at 10pm. Based on Sydney times, other time zones check local guides.

Business as usual:

On GO!, its your typical Friday night with a Scooby Doo movie at 6pm, then The Benchwarmers at 7.30pm, followed by Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey from 9.15pm.

ELEVEN has its usual programming for the night with So You Think You Can Dance at 7.30pm, followed by Sex and the City from 9.30pm.

ABC3, SBS ONE and SBS TWO all feature regular Friday night programming, while ABC News 24 shows as regular programming as well, but the news will undoubtably be dominated with the Wedding. Regular programming also remains on 7TWO in NSW and QLD.

And, with the Chaser’s Commentary now pulled, ABC2 will has two hours of The Chasers War on Everything from 8.30pm. The Royale Family at 7.30pm.

Throng TV Spotlight Friday April 29.

*Obviously on Pay TV, those channels not covering the wedding will air what they usually do.

Movie: William & Kate: A Modern Day Fairy Tale, Ten, 8.30pm.

This recently completed telemovie made predominantly for US audiences has received some bad reviews in the press ranging from being called “dumbed down” to being “like an episode of Gossip Girl”. It is the story of William and Kate, dramatised as a movie – good for entertainment value, as opposed to being 100% factual. There are, of course, plenty of docos on this week which will give you factual information about the couple.

Jo Frost: Extreme Parental Guidance, GEM, 7.30pm.

Jo Frost, best known as the Supernanny, returns in this new series to give mums and dads the honest, insightful, no-nonsense parenting advice they need.

Forced to Marry, SBS TWO, 8.30pm.

Young Muslim girls born and brought up in the UK are sometimes forced to marry their cousins who live in remote areas of Pakistan and Kashmir. The British High Commission runs an Assistance Unit in Islamabad to rescue girls from the clutches of their families.

Movie: Street Kings, GO!, 9.30pm.

First run on free to air TV. Still reeling from the death of his wife, Los Angeles detective Tom Ludlow is devastated when he’s named as a suspect in the murder of his partner. With the help of a young homicide detective, Ludlow struggles to clear his name. Stars: Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans.

Movie: The One, ONE HD, 8.30pm.

A sci-fi movie where a police officer discovers that by killing other versions of himself in a parallel dimension, he can make himself stronger and closer to becoming ‘the one’. Stars Jet Li, Carla Gugino, Delroy Lindo, Jason Statham

AFP, Nine, 8.00pm

Nine are getting a week up on the post Easter return of the ratings survey, launching two of their new high profile shows on the one night. AFP gives us an unprecedented look into the goings on of the Australian Federal Police.

Sea Patrol: Damage Control, Nine, 8.30pm

Back for it’s fifth and final season. In this episode, a suicide bomb attack in a nightclub has a shocking impact on the crew of HMAS Hammersley.

Survivor: Redemption Island, GO!, 8.30pm

After being off for a week, Survivor Redemption Island returns to the later timeslot of 8.30pm.

Nikita, GO!, 9.30pm.

Based on the movies The Assassin and La Femme Nikita, this action packed series finally returns to GO after being off for nearly five months. Double episode.

William & Kate: A Royal Love Story, ABC1, 8.34pm.

With the imminent wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, this documentary is an account of the love story between William and the girl who is to become his Queen.

Will & Kate, Seven , 7.30pm

In a week filled with Royal specials, this is one that stands out for all the wrong reasons. As it was made months ago, accounts of the planning for the wedding are now out of date. Seven would have been better off doing their own news special with all the latest information. Still, seeing the extent to which those involved with putting on the wedding – the chefs, the cake maker, the dress maker, etc will be interesting to many.

Movie: The Queen, Seven, 8.30pm.

It you haven’t seen this movie about how the Queen and the palace handle the death of Princess Diana, then this is a must see. You can also see the actual wedding between Charles and Di on Pay TV’s Bio channel. It airs a number of times over the course of this week.

AFL on a Tuesday? Seven, 2.00pm.

On the fifth day of a rare 5 day weekend there is an AFL game on during the day. Seven will be airing the match between Hawthorn and Geelong to all markets from 2pm. This week, there is also a game on Thursday night which will air on Ten. That means, this week, there will have been at least one AFL game played every day except for Wednesday.

Hot off the success of Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, Channel Nine have signed up Ita Buttrose to join the networks’ team in reporting for the Royal Wedding from London over the next seven days.

Ita appeared exclusively on A Current Affair on Friday Night (April 22) to discuss her thoughts on the Wedding including the dress that Kate would wear as well as her opinions generally on the big event and how the couple will more likely appear on magazine covers over the usual US celebrities in coming months.

She will work mostly with regular ACA host Tracy Grimshaw. Ita Buttrose said the role was fitting as she also reported on the 1981 Royal Wedding between Charles and Diana.

The Nine Network invites viewers to join the celebrations for Prince William and Catherine Middleton with extensive coverage of the Royal Wedding starting on Monday, April 25.
 
The Today Show is LIVE from Buckingham Palace – all week. Join Karl Stefanovic, Lisa Wilkinson and the team with all the latest in royal news.

Kerri-Anne Kennerley is reporting LIVE from London all week and filing stories from various royal locations.

Nine News is LIVE from London all week.

A Current Affair will be LIVE from London all week, with Ita Buttrose and Leila McKinnon joining Tracy Grimshaw and a host of royal watchers.
 
William and Kate: The Royal Countdown, a half-hour special hosted by Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson, will go LIVE from Buckingham Palace on Thursday, April 28, at 7.30pm.

After William and Kate: The Royal Countdown it’s a Right Royal Getaway at 8.00pm. Jason Dundas hosts from London as the Getaway team present holidays inspired by the Royal Wedding. Getaway takes a look at the couple’s favourite haunts during their seven-year romance. The Getaway special features Catriona Rowntree’s profile of London’s Goring Hotel where Kate Middleton will spend the night before the big day.

On Friday, April 29, from 4.00pm (check local guides) Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson host the lead-up to William and Kate: The Royal Wedding.

At 6.30pm on A Current Affair, Tracey Grimshaw and Ita Buttrose will be LIVE from Westminster Abbey and Leila McKinnon will report LIVE from the royal route, moments before Kate Middleton takes the ride of her life in a royal Rolls-Royce.  

From 7.00pm, William and Kate: The Royal Wedding will be hosted by Karl Stefanovic, Lisa Wilkinson and Dame Edna Everage, accompanied by royal experts and opinion-formers. The coverage will also be simulcast in high definition on GEM. From 8.30pm in NSW and Queensland the wedding coverage will switch to GEM to make way for Friday Night Football.  

SKY NEWS will broadcast every angle of the Royal Wedding with its multichannel and High Definition coverage on Friday, April 29.
 
In addition to its main channel Royal Wedding coverage on SKY NEWS National, SKY NEWS will be broadcasting the SKY NEWS UK channel live from London in High Definition, available to all iQHD subscribers on channel 201.
 
SKY NEWS will be there as His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales says “I do” to Miss Catherine Middleton. Coverage will also include wedding preparations and celebrations live, all in beautiful High Definition on channel 201.
 
SKY NEWS HD (channel 201) will be on air from 6.00am Thursday, April 28 to take viewers behind-the-scenes as London prepares for the big day. Then on Friday, you will see the ceremony and celebrations, continuing until 6.00am Saturday, April 30.
 
In addition, SKY NEWS channels will also provide Royal Wedding coverage on SKY NEWS National (channel 601) and the A-PAC channel (channel 648). Details as follows:
 
Sky News HD (Channel 201)

·         6.00am Thursday, April 28 to 6.00am Saturday, April 30: SKY NEWS HD live from London in HD including Royal Wedding preparations and celebrations.
·         12.00pm Saturday, April 30 to 6.00am Monday, May 2: Encore presentations of the wedding across the weekend.
 
A-PAC (Channel 648)

·         3.00pm to 6.00pm Friday, April 29: London Sunrise; early wedding day preparations live from London.
 
Sky News National (Channel 601)

·         6.00pm Friday, April 29 to 5.30am Saturday, April 30: Complete live coverage of the wedding and celebrations around the UK.
·         SKY NEWS National Affairs Correspondent, Celina Edmonds will report from London in the week leading up to the wedding.
 
All times AEST