MasterChef Israel Finale Smashes TV Rating Records

The third season of "MasterChef," the Israeli version of the U.K.-based cooking reality show, broke records on Tuesday evening, drawing in the highest ratings for a single TV episode in Israeli history.

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At its peak, some 52.3 percent of Israel's Jewish households were tuned in to the show, in which Tom Franz, a German immigrant to Israel, beat fellow competitors Salma Fiyumi and Jackie Azoulay to take the title. Overall, the program reached a record-breaking audience of 46.6 percent of Israel's Jewish population.

Based on initial ratings figures compiled by the Israel Audience Research Board, the show's finale, which aired on Channel 2 concessionaire Keshet, earned the highest rating for a single TV episode and was the most-watched Israeli reality TV finale ever.

The second season finale of Master Chef also previously broke the viewership record when it captured 46.1 percent of the Jewish households. In comparison, the show's first season finale was viewed by 41.6 percent of the Jewish households.

Channel 10's re-run of "Hahaverim Shel Naor" ("Friends of Naor") which ran against the MasterChef season finale, was viewed by only 4.9 percent of the Jewish households.