"The Premiership" was watched by a peak figure of five million viewers, in comparison to "The Weakest Link" which drew an average of seven million when shown on rival channel BBC One at the same time. Despite ITV declaring that it was a positive start to the season, media and football critics – most notably the "Daily Mirror" - were outspoken about the programme's highlights. Out of the 70 minutes on air, the first show included only 28 minutes of action, compared to the average of 58 minutes on "Match of the Day" the previous season.