Cricket won the night for Nine in metro and regional markets as more than 1.25 million gluttons and optimists around the country sat and watched the most abysmal display of test cricket batting, fielding and bowling from an Australian side (and great bowling, fielding and batting from the England side, especially Stuart Broad). Back to club cricket for all the Australian side. By the time the second session had started, the Australians had been abandoned by viewers back home to their own devices and the national audience had collapsed (now there’s a word) to 490,000. And by the third session, you could have assembled the 180,000 watching across the country in two sittings at the MCG. So who will front up tonight for another evening of punishment? There’s a new rock group just formed in the UK, by the way, Michael and the EasyBeats.Even Taylor Swift won’t be able to save them and she seems to the patron saint for hopeless causes at the moment. Nothing else mattered last night. The Bachelor did well for Ten with just over a million national viewers. It was a worthy competitor for the flops at Trent Bridge.

Who will win the cable ratings in the US: the Fox News debate  which started at 11 am Sydney time with The Donald and his nine fellow dwarfs (plus the seven mini me’s in the earlier debate which aired at 7 am Sydney time)? Or the Comedy Central landmark: the last Daily Show with Jon Stewart? So kind of the Republicans and The Donald to give Stewart some much farewell material. The Daily Show airs at 1 pm Sydney time.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (36.1%)
  2. Seven (24.0%)
  3. Ten (19.1%)
  4. ABC (14.5%)
  5. SBS1 (6.3%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (17.4%)
  2. Seven (14.6%)
  3. Ten (12.8%)
  4. ABC (9.7%)
  5. SBS ONE (5.0%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. Gem (14.6%)
  2. 7TWO (6.0%)
  3. GO (3.9%)
  4. Eleven (3.5%)
  5. 7mate (3.3%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Nine News — 1.482 million
  2. Home and Away (Seven)  – 1.275 million
  3. Cricket’s Ashes: 4th Test, Day 1, Session 1 (Gem) — 1.259 million
  4. ABC News – 1.188 million
  5. Seven News – 1.146 million
  6. Nine News 6.30 — 1.034 million
  7. The Bachelor (Ten) — 1.029 million
  8. A Current Affair (Nine) – 989,000
  9. 7.30 (ABC) — 97,000
  10. Seven News/Today Tonight — 889,000

Top metro programs:

  1. Nine News — 1.053 million
  2. Nine News 6.30 — 1.034 million

Losers: The Australian cricket team. Book a slow steamer home for them please?Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Nine News — 1.053 million
  2. Nine News 6.30 — 1.034 million
  3. Seven News — 873,000
  4. Seven News/Today Tonight — 854,000
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) — 839,000
  6. 7pm ABC News — 796,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 653,000
  8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 630,000
  9. Inside Story (Nine) — 557,000
  10. Ten Eyewitness News — 548,000

 

Morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 383,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 358,000
  3. The Morning Show (Seven) —
  4. Mornings (Nine) —
  5. News Breakfast (ABC 1,  56,000 + 34,000 on News 24) —
  6. Studio 1o (Ten) —

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox8  (2.5%)
  2. LifeStyle  (2.4%)
  3. A&E (1.8%)
  4. TVHITS  (1.8%)
  5. Disney Jr (1.7%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. The Simpsons (Fox8) – 88,000
  2. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) — 82,000
  3. The Simpsons (Fox8) — 80,000
  4. Family Guy (Fox8) — 69,000
  5. Village Vets Australia (LifeStyle) — 69,000

*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.