A good night for Seven, Nine and the ABC, but it was goodnight to Ten as its main channel share fell to its third-lowest figure since the current ratings system started 13 years ago. The lowest was also hit last night — in regional markets. INXS did it for Seven for the third Sunday in a row, with the Sunday Night special on the group topping the night. My Kitchen Rules had to play second fiddle, but the start of the new series of Downton Abbey was well down the track.

Sunday Night had 2.843 million national/ 1.910 million metro/ 933,000 regional viewers — an all-time record for the show. My Kitchen Rules had 2.554 million national/ 1.730 million/ 824,000 regional viewers. Downton Abbey had 1.740 million national/ 1.125 million metro/ 615,000 regional viewers. They were solid figures, but were also the lowest series debut so far for the show, 206,000 under last year’s and 600,000 under the first series’ start. That’s unlike what has happened in the UK and US markets.

On Nine, The first two episodes of Fat Tony & Co did OK. The first episode at 8.30 pm was the most-watched with 1.821 million national/ 1.379 million metro/ 442,000 regional viewers. The second episode at 9.30pm had 1.236 million metro viewers. The regional and national audiences were impossible to work out because of coding errors on WIN, Nine’s regional affiliate. The ratings don’t show it coded separately in the regional markets of Nine’s wholly owned regional arm, NBN. It appears that in regional markets the two episodes were combined, but it is impossible to separate on the early data. Nine’s programs were very popular in Melbourne (which saw the network win in that market), while in Sydney and Adelaide, Nine was a close second to Seven. But in Brisbane, Perth and regional markets, Seven won easily, as Nine’s programming didn’t have the same impact. Ten was thrashed for third place nationally and in metro and regional markets by the ABC. So You Think You Can Dance Australia reminded us that it’s the prime contender for Turkey of the year.

Network channel share:

  1. Seven (35.9%)
  2. Nine (32.6%)
  3. ABC (14.4%)
  4. Ten (13.1%)
  5. SBS (3.9%)

Network main channels:

  1. Seven (29.6%)
  2. Nine (26.8%)
  3. ABC1 (11.1%)
  4. Ten (6.4%)
  5. SBS ONE (3.2%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. ONE (5.1%)
  2. GO (3.5%)
  3. 7TWO (3.4%)
  4. 7mate (2.9%)
  5. Gem (2.8%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Sunday Night — 2.843 million
  2. My Kitchen Rules (Seven) — 2.554 million
  3. The Block (Nine) — 1.855 million
  4. Fat Tony & Co episode 1 (Nine) – 1.821 million
  5. Seven News — 1.751 million
  6. Downton Abbey (Seven) — 1.740 million
  7. Nine News — 1.501 million
  8. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 1.334 million
  9. ABC News — 1.238 million
  10. Fat Tony & Co episode 2 (Nine) — 1.236 million

Top metro programs:

  1. Sunday Night — 1.910 million
  2. My Kitchen Rules (Seven) — 1.730 million
  3. Fat Tony & Co episode 1 (Nine)  — 1.379 millio
  4. The Block (Nine) — 1.329 million
  5. Fat Tony & Co episode 2 (Nine) — 1.236 million
  6. Seven News — 1.185 million
  7. Downton Abbey (Seven) — 1.125 million
  8. Nine News — 1.125 million

Losers: Ten, as predicted. A miserable night, one of the worst ever for the network and the first of more to come. Ten has commissioned more episodes of Wanted, the weak police “where are they now” program hosted by Sandra Sully last year.Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Sunday Night — 1.910 million
  2. Seven News — 1.185 million
  3. Nine News — 1.125 million
  4. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 926,000
  5. ABC News — 801,000
  6. Ten Eyewitness News  – 348,000
  7. SBS World News — 180,000

Metro morning TV:

  1. Weekend Today  (Nine) – 310,000
  2. Weekend Sunrise (Seven) – 299,000
  3. Insiders (ABC1, 189,000, 92,000 on News 24) — 281,000
  4. Landline (ABC1) — 241,000
  5. Financial Review Sunday (Nine) — 210,000
  6. Offsiders (ABC1) – 121,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox Sports 3 (5.3%)
  2. Fox 8 (2.4%)
  3. TVHITS! (2.2%)
  4. Fox Sports1, Fox Sports 2 (2.0%)
  5. Disney (1.9%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. 2nd Cricket Test: South Africa v Australia, Session 1 (Fox Sports 3) – 176,000
  2. Cricket Special (Fox Sports 3) – 126,000
  3. Rugby Union: NSW V Western Force (Fox Sports 2) — 122,000
  4. 2nd Cricket Test: South Africa v Australia, Session 1 (Fox Sports 3) – 119,000
  5. Real Housewives of Melbourne (ARENA) — 117,000

*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.