Seven battled last night. It had more viewers on its main channels and a better demographic spread than Nine, but thanks to higher ratings for its digital channels, Nine ended with an overall win. Digital channels had a combined metro share of 32.9%, (34.3% in regional markets) which meant more viewers watched them as a group as watched any of the main channels. Nine’s GO with 6.8% had a bigger share than SBS did overall (6.6% and 5.6% for SBS ONE). When viewers flock to the digital channels it tells us that the main channel offerings are dire. The rest of the networks had no serious competition, so it was a weak night, as tonight will be.

In terms of ratings, last night’s two hour final of Beauty and The Geek Australia (1.235 million national/ 803,000 metro/ 431,000 regional viewers) couldn’t even crack a million viewers in metro markets. Yes, it had a lot of young female viewers (as it always had) and yes it did well in 25 to 54s. But viewing levels were not anything to write home about either last night. But for the broader and larger audience that say, Home and Away captured the night before with the bomb finale, Beauty And The Geek Australia was a big flop. Seven should have used the Home and Away boomba on Beauty And The Geek Australia and blown up the whole rubbishy program. It was weak TV, but was it as grubby as The Bachelor? No, that epic from Ten was a special type of bottom crawling creepiness. Last night’s offering from Seven was merely silly and full of airheads, made by people who should know better.

Ten’s Wake Up yesterday morning — 34,000 metro viewers (and 50,000 national, meaning just 16,000 in the regions).  Studio 10 had 54,000 (69,000 national and 15,000 regional viewers) . Still both irrelevant, but Wake Up even more so.

Network channel share:

  1.  Nine (29.4%)
  2. Seven (28.2%)
  3. Ten (18.7%)
  4. ABC (17.1%)
  5. SBS (6.6%)

Network main channels:

  1. Seven (21.2%)
  2. Nine (18.3%)
  3. Ten (12.7%)
  4. ABC1 (10.4%)
  5. SBS ONE (5.6%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. GO (6.8%)
  2. Gem (4.4%)
  3. Eleven (4.0%)
  4. 7mate (3.9%)
  5. ABC2 (3.8%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.497 million
  2. Nine News — 1.467 million
  3. Beauty And The Geek Australia (Seven) — 1.235 million
  4. Wild India  (Nine) – 1.198 million
  5. ABC News — 1.156 million
  6. Border Security (Seven) — 1.119 million
  7. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.057 million
  8. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.042 million
  9. Hot Seat (Nine) — 986,000
  10. 7.30 (ABC1) — 855,000

Losers:  All of us, if you tuned in to watch any TV last night that wasn’t not 7.30.Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.020 million
  2. Nine News — 1.013 million
  3. A Current Affair (Nine) – 898,000
  4. Today Tonight (Seven) — 831,000
  5. ABC News – 785,000
  6. Ten Eyewitness News — 604,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC1) — 534,000
  8. The Project (Ten) — 409,000
  9. Ten Late Eyewitness News — 171,000
  10. SBS World News — 149,000

Metro morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 337,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 293,000
  3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 125,000
  4. Mornings (Nine) — 113,000
  5. News Breakfast (ABC1  66,000 + 37,000 on News24) — 103,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) –54,000
  7. Wake Up (Ten) — 34,000

Top pay TV channels:

  1. LifeStyle – (3.2%)
  2. Fox 8, TV1 — (2.4%)
  3. UK TV – (2.1%)
  4. A&E – (1.9%)
  5. Sky News, Fox Classics – (1.6%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Grand Designs Australia (LifeStyle) – 171,000
  2. Selling Houses Australia (LifeStyle) – 83,000
  3. Coronation Street (UKTV) – 68,000
  4. Grand Designs Revisited (LifeStyle) – 55,000
  5. Inspector George Gently (UKTV) – 53,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2013. The data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of OzTAM. (All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight All People) and network reports.