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THIS YEAR’S LATE Late Toy Show was the most-watched programme on Irish television to date, with an average audience of 1.4 million viewers watching the show from beginning to end.
When you look at those who tuned in for at least one minute of the show, figures jump to more than two million, while on RTÉ Player, this year’s Late Late Toy Show was watched in 102 countries outside of Ireland.
Live streaming of The Late Late Toy Show was up 63% on last year, with people tuning in from the Cayman Islands, Lebanon, Jamaica, Qatar and Nepal. The top five countries streaming internationally were the UK, US, Australia, Spain and Canada.
Four in five people watching television at the time were tuned in to The Late Late Toy Show, with 77% of Irish TV viewers choosing to watch the show. This year’s Toy Show was more popular than last year’s – which had its highest TV audience since 2011.
Late Late Toy Show host Ryan Tubridy said he was “really happy to see that people appreciated it in such tremendous numbers”.
The Jungle Book-themed show featured more than 320 young performers and toy demonstrators with surprise guest appearances from Dermot Bannon, Jamie Heaslip and Rory McIlroy.
An average of 152,200 people watched the entire show when it was repeated on RTÉ One on Sunday.
Channel controller RTÉ One and RTÉ2, Adrian Lynch said: “The fact that four in five people watching television in Ireland at the time were tuned in to the Toy Show demonstrates how much it really connects with the audience.
“This is event television at its best and with more than 90% of children watching TV at the time enthralled by Ryan and a cast of hundreds, it really marks the start of the festive season”.
The figures quoted by Lynch are based on the average share of 91% of 4-14 year olds who watched the show.
The Toy Show figures arrive just weeks after RTÉ announced it would outsource children’s programming to independent contractors, resulting in job losses and the end of live children’s programming on the public service broadcaster. The decision has been put on hold pending discussions with RTÉ’s trade union, the TUG.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie in the run up to this year’s Toy Show, Ryan Tubridy said children’s programming was really important to RTÉ.
All toys featured on the Toy Show on the night will be donated to charity, and a list of all the toys featured is available on the show’s website.
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Every year it gets well over a million viewers. Sometimes there is just no argument. Bravo.
@Seymour business:
Why did RTE not round up all the homeless children and there mother/farther and give them a Christmas to remember
BOYCOTT RTE and the licence
Jesus, Kerry! That escalated quickly.
@Joanna:
Yes Joanna, just goes to show who behind it.RTE???
This news site really has become a cesspit of miserable moaners who spew hate and love to write negative stuff about anything. Glad I dont regularly read this site anymore.
Say the most insulting moaner on this thread. Pot kettle black
Brian, he’s making a valid point, not moaning and he’s right.
Weldone RTE! Where else do kids get to watch a show like that coming up to christmas? Not one in the uk i know of.. long may it live, shut up moaning moaners
The show should be called The talented Children’s Christmas show. The talent was really amazing and the show was well presented. I’m not a fan of the late late but have to say it was very good . Not a lot of toys but the kids were ama.
*Amazing*
I remember a five children from the one family playing music on the Toy Show years back and they are all still in the music industry one of them was backing Ray Lyman on the late a few weeks back lets hope the Stars of this years toy show go on to be stars in the future k YES It Started on The Late Late Show
I don’t think RTE, the Late Late or Ryan Tubridy should be endorsed in any form, they all really annoy me
Well that escalated quickly.
The toy Late Late show was to gold and I can’t praise Ryan enough he is so good with children unlike Gay or Pat. Ryan was born to host this show he doesn’t get enough credit
I presume this will be last article on the toy show for this year? The cow is well and truly milked at this stage.
……..so shouldn’t the real story be that 70% of people in the country didn’t watch it?
There was a time it was pulling in those numbers in just Ireland…but that was a long long time ago
@Larry Doyle:
that would be a most unusual angle to take to this story – “Toy Show most watched TV show to date but RTE red-faced since some people didn’t watch it”.
Most people didn’t watch it.
If you ask me Tubridy didn’t give the kids much of a chance to review / talk about the toys. It wasn’t great to be honest.
32 Grand is cost for a 30-second ad slot during the Late Late Toy Show.
That boy Ryan is a great T.V host worth every penny, the fact the have e.g.
Still can’t believe he rode a rose of Tralee
I know I’m going to be lambasted for being a feminazi, but I’ll take the hit. Dermot bannon asked the little girl, ‘are you going to be an in charge woman, or are you going to be better than that?’ The implication being that in charge women are not good women. I nearly choked on my crisps and minstrels.
My God woman you deserve a good lambasting for that.
I was shaking when the brute just assumed the child’s gender like it was the year 2011 or something.
Come on Anne Marie, be better than that
You’re right but I think he fumbled the question meaning to ask her if she’d be in the kitchen (which she previously spoke about) or an in charge woman. When he messed up the order it seemed to me like the “or better than that?” was the confusing save.
That’s a very glass half full article. More people didn’t watch it than did…
@⚡ Seánie ⚡:
What?
Are you saying it didn’t pull in an impressive number of viewers?
Jaysus wept so he did!
The theme was cool.
The one thing I would complain about is the sheer gluttony of gifts the audience were showered with when you put it into context with rising homelessness numbers in the country and families struggling to buy presents for their children. I would say each person in the audience received well over a grand worth of stuff.
and half the kids fell asleep half way should be on at a earlier time
Let’s be honest, it’s simply children’s entertainment. For the adults it like watching Elf every year… I’ll give it an 7.5
What’s wrong with watching Elf every year? Brilliant film.
A doubler on the scratcher and the toy show in the one week. Get in there you little ruby
Stop extorting people through the license fee and nobody would watch it.
Not for me it wasn’t. Can’t stand Ryan Tubridy.
RTE lost €20 million last year but all we’re told is how the late late toy show drew record figures even though 50% of us didn’t even watch it. Somethings not right here lads.
Who believes these ratings
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