A fair average quality night last night — in other words nothing much doing. Nine won thanks to The Block with 1.898 million national/1.328 million metro/ 590,000 regional viewers). It was The Block’s highest week night audience, which is easy to understand when you look at what was not on Seven — My Kitchen Rules. Nine won metro markets easily and won the main channels in regional markets, but lost overall in All People because of the strength of Seven’s digital channels. Ten was fourth in both regionals and metro markets with the ABC well ahead in third for the night and the week, again.

Seven’s special on that missing Malaysian Boeing 777 had 1.206 million national/ 797,000 metro/ 409,000 regional viewers. (Where’s the Bermuda Triangle when you want a good conspiracy theory or aliens, or the CIA?) It was a good idea. But odd that Nine, which generally does a ‘news special’ at the drop of the hat, didn’t rush one to air. The ABC’s 7.30 (1.160 million national viewers), The Checkout (1.167 million) and Janet King (1.170 million) were all solid and top 10 programs nationally. Ten can only dream.

Tonight the annual battle of the codes is joined with the split first round of the AFL starting, up against round two of the NRL. This means the 2014 TV ratings battle has been fully joined. Well, almost, Ten remains mired in 2010.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine  (32.2%)
  2. Seven (29.8%)
  3. ABC (18.6%)
  4. Ten (14.5%)
  5. SBS (4.9%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (25.0%)
  2. Nine (20.9%)
  3. ABC 1 (13.3%)
  4. Ten (9.2%)
  5. SBS ONE (4.0%)

Top digital channels: 

  1. 7mate (4.8%)
  2. 7TWO (4.2%)
  3. GO (4.0%)
  4. Eleven, Gem (3.2%)
  5. ABC2 (2.9%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. The Block (Nine) — 1.898 million
  2. Seven News — 1.438 million
  3. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.403 million
  4. Nine News — 1.371 million
  5. Border Security (Nine) — 1.227 million
  6. Seven News Special: MH 370 — 1.206 million
  7. ABC News — 1.173 million
  8. Janet King (ABC1) — 1.170 million
  9. The Checkout (ABC1) — 1.167 million
  10. 7.30 (ABC1) — 1.160 million

Top metro programs:

  1. The Block (Nine) — 1.328 million
  2. Seven News — 1.114 million

Losers: Ten.Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.114 million
  2. Seven News / Today Tonight  — 988,000
  3. Nine News 6.30 – 936,000
  4. Nine News –– 904,000
  5. A Current Affair — 858,000
  6. ABC News — 802,000
  7. Seven News Special: MH370 — 797,000
  8. 7.30 (ABC1) — 752,000
  9. Ten Eyewitness News — 591,000
  10. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 518,000

Metro morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 303,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 273,000
  3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 144,000
  4. News Breakfast (ABC1, 65,000 + 57,000 on News 24) 122,000
  5. Mornings (Nine) — 93,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 50,000
  7. Wake Up (Ten) — 41,000

Top pay TV channels:

  1. LifeStyle  (2.7%)
  2. Fox 8 , TVHITS! (2.3%)
  3. UKTV  (2.0%)
  4. Discovery (1.8%)
  5. A&E (1.7%)

Top pay TV programs:

  1. Grand Designs (LifeStyle) – 83,000
  2. Coronation Street (UKTV), Sterlo (Fox Sports 1) — 64,000
  3. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 58,000
  4. Futurama (Fox 8) – 53,000
  5. The Simpsons (Fox 8) — 52,000

*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.