Not a night to watch TV last night. I did. For a while, every now and then. The AFL was the best thing. At least it had pace, drama and movement and was live. It gave Seven big wins in Adelaide and Melbourne and helped  the network to win Perth. With those victories, Seven won the night in metro markets, but not in regional markets where Nine was a very narrow winner. Ten had more viewers overall in metro and regional markets, but ABC1 had more viewers in metro and regional markets, pushing Ten back to fourth. The AFL coverage on Seven had 931,000 viewers nationally. It had a further 239,000 on Fox Footy, for a solid national total on the night of 1.170 million.

Bill Shorten’s Budget Address in Reply speech was live (I am reliably informed). It had 999,000 national/ 617,000 metro/ 382,000 regional viewers. The 7.30 interview at 8 pm didn’t go on News 24, which was odd. If it was good enough for the Joe Hockey interview and chat to be broadcast on Tuesday on News 24, it was good enough for Mr Shorten’s interview and whatever to be shown on News 24 last night. The 7.30 program at 8 pm had 925,000 national/ 606,000 metro/ 319,000 regional viewers.

Another big money round on Seven’s Million Dollar Minute saw it beat Nine’s Hot Seat in metro markets — 946,000 national / 587,000 metro / 359,000 regional to 931,000 national/  586,000 metro / 345,000 regional viewers. Million Dollar Minute should get another boost tonight because the woman contestant (Sarah) got one wrong last night and is back tonight for another go. The solid figures for Million Dollar Minute helped Seven News to one of its best wins of the year in metro markets, and gave Nine News one of its weakest. In the mornings Nine’s Today lost the metros to Sunrise on Seven by a huge 97,000 viewers.

Network channel share:

  1. Seven (30.5%)
  2. Nine (24.2%)
  3. Ten (20.3%)
  4. ABC (18.7%)
  5. SBS (6.3%)

Network main channels:

  1. Seven (23.1%)
  2. Nine (17.6%)
  3. Ten (13.3%)
  4. ABC1  (12.4%)
  5. SBS ONE (5.3%)

Top digital channels: 

  1. ONE (4.5%)
  2. 7mate (4.2%)
  3. GO (3.5%)
  4. 7TWO, Gem (3.3%)
  5. ABC 2 (2.7%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.704 million
  2. Nine News — 1.541 million
  3. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.311 million
  4. Call The Midwife (ABC1) – 1.119 million
  5. 7 pm ABC 1 News — 1.107 million
  6. Seven News / Today Tonight — 1.038 million
  7. Budget In Reply Speech (ABC1, News 24 ) — 999,000
  8. A Current Affair (Nine) — 966,000
  9. Nine News 6.30 — 965,000
  10. Million Dollar Minute (Seven) — 946,000

Top metro programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.152 million
  2. Seven News / Today Tonight — 1.038 million
  3. Nine News — 1.007 million

Losers: The AFL was great on 7mate — fancy the Crows beating the Wobbles by 21 points? The Budget Address — slow TV at its worst. Give Bill a cigar anyone?Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.152 million
  2. Seven News / Today Tonight — 1.038 million
  3. Nine News — 1.007 million
  4. Nine News 6.30 — 996,000
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 805,000
  6. ABC News  – 769,000
  7. Ten Eyewitness News — 675,000
  8. Budget In Reply Speech (ABC1, News 24) — 617,000
  9. 7.30 (ABC1) — 606,000
  10. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 572,000

Morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 375,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 278,000
  3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 170,000
  4. News Breakfast (ABC1,  64,000 + 51,000 on News 24) — 116,000
  5. Mornings (Nine) — 98,000
  6. Studio 1o (Ten) — 41,000
  7. Wake Up (Ten) — 32,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox Footy (4.6%)
  2. Fox 8  (2.5%)
  3. TVHITS! (2.3%)
  4. LifeStyle  (2.2%)
  5. UKTV (2.1%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. AFL: Adelaide v Collingwood  (Fox Footy) – 239,000
  2. River Cottage Australia  (LifeStyle) –  99,000
  3. AFL Thursday Night Footy on Fox (late) (Fox Footy) – 92,000
  4. AFL Thursday Night Footy on Fox (early) (Fox Footy) – 84,000
  5. Gold Rush (Discovery) – 68,000

*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.