Nine’s night again. The winning margin was narrower than on other nights this week. The Block (1.246 million nationally) led the way. Nine said this week’s eps of The Block had the highest average of the seven weeks so far — 1.533 million viewers. Nine’s Today bounced back in metro markets with the average hitting 238,000 against 199,000 the morning before. 

It was also the closest to Seven’s Sunrise (244,000) for quite a while. The Bachelor did well for Ten with 1.134 million and solid 25 to 54 demos (not the target audience). More silliness and tonight the remaining members of the pack discover The Bach used to play rugby union and are impressed that he can lace a boot. Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell returned to ABC TV last night at 8:30 and managed a top 10 finish nationally with 984,000 and in the metros — a very welcome return, Bill Shorten Zingers and all and Senator Corman’s spokesman back in full Terminator style.

The opening explanation of the change in prime ministership between a blind begging Micallef on behalf of the Liberal Party, and homeowner, Francis Greenslade was the best so far of all commentaries on that week in August. Seven’s The Front Bar will be broadcast into non-AFL markets tonight for the first time this year on 7mate at 8.30. while Nine’s wallowing AFL Footy Show will be on delay from 11.30pm.

In regional markets Seven’s 6pm News was on top with 520,00, then Seven News/Today Tonight with 504,000, followed by Home and Away with 402,000, then The Block with 364,000 and The Chase Australia from 5.30pm with 359,000.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (28.0%)
  2. Seven (26.9%)
  3. Ten (22.1%)
  4. ABC (17.2%)
  5. SBS (5.8%)

Network main channels:

  1. Seven (20.0%)
  2. Seven (18.0%)
  3. Ten (16.3%)
  4. ABC (12.2%)
  5. SBS ONE (3.9%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. GO (4.4%)
  2. 7TWO (3.7%)
  3. ONE (3.6%)
  4. 7mate (3.1%)
  5. ABC Kids/Comedy (2.8%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1.  Seven News — 1.414 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.148 million
  3. The Block (Nine) — 1.185 million
  4.  Nine/NBN News — 1.455 million
  5.  Nine/NBN News — 1.455 million
  6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.132 million
  7. The X Factor (Seven) — 1.597 million
  8. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.348 million
  9. 7pm ABC News — 1.304 million
  10. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 1.108 million

Top metro programs: None with a million or more viewers.

Losers: Seven, weak again.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News/TT — 961,000
  2. Seven News — 956,000
  3. Nine News  — 926,000
  4. Nine News 6.30 — 847,000
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 816,000
  6. 7pm ABC News – 665,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 555,000
  8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 531,000
  9. Ten Eyewitness News — 375,000
  10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 327,000

Morning (National) TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 429,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 349,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) — 262,000
  4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 178,000
  5. Mornings (Nine) — 128,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 77,000

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Gogglebox (LifeStyle) — 221,000
  2. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 82,000
  3. Paul Murray Live (Sky News), Nella The Princess Knight (Nick Jr) — 54,000
  4. Selling Houses Australia (LifeStyle) — 52,000