Kohaku ratings bounce back with White Team win

The audience ratings for NHK’s 59th Kohaku Uta Gassen have been announced. Ratings were up from last year, reaching 35.7% for the first half and 42.1% for the second half.

The news was a welcome change, as the past two years had dipped below the 40% mark. The second half of the show had ratings of 39.8% in 2006 and 39.5% in 2007, which are the 3rd and 2nd worst performances in the show’s history.

The first half ratings were also an improvement, climbing up from 30.6% in 2006 and 32.8% in 2007.

This Kohaku Uta Gassen was the fourth consecutive victory for the White Team (male artists), bringing their overall total record to 31 wins and 28 losses. It was a convincing win, as the White Team received nearly 206,000 votes compared to the Red Team’s 112,000.

Source:
Sports Hochi