The Block dominated the night for Nine, as expected, with 2.506 million viewers (1.812 million metro and 693,000 regional viewers) and the grand final averaged 2.218 million national viewers, including 1.579 million metro and 639,000 regional viewers. The winner’s announcement was more than 400,000 under the winner’s announcement for the first series this year (2.926 million viewers) and the grand final was 168,000 under the 2.385 million for the first series. Now that was a very solid performance, but the 400,000 plus fall in viewers for the winner does indicate a growing level of viewer boredom with the program idea. Interestingly, The Block last night fell 600,000 short of the combined figures for the two programs on Sunday and Monday nights.

The only competition The Block had was from the second part of the powerful Hitting Home doco by Sarah Ferguson (886,000 national viewers) and the special Q&A which followed (726,000 viewers). An average of 748,000 viewers watched some disturbing content and an at times taxing discussion for two hours on the ABC last night. Contrast that to the pap that was on The Verdict on Nine after The Block, which was abandoned by an overwhelming majority of the 2.5 million people who watched The Block. Whoever produced The Verdict last night needs a bollocking for what went to air. Fancy looking back at the year’s top stories on a program that was in existence for just eight of the 44 weeks up to now. It shreds the mind.

In Sydney, Seven News with 253,000 viewers had another win over Nine News with 245,000, but big losses in Melbourne and especially Brisbane. Seven News had a solid win in the metros as well. And Today beat Sunrise yesterday morning 374,000 to 372,000 — close but still a win for Today (the third in a row this week).

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (35.2%)
  2. Seven (24.1%)
  3. ABC (19.1%)
  4. Ten (16.1%)
  5. SBS (5.6%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (27.2%)
  2. Seven (15.6%)
  3. ABC (14.2%)
  4. Ten (9.1%)
  5. SBS ONE (4.3%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. GO (4.8%)
  2. 7TWO (4.7%)
  3. ONE (4.3%)
  4. 7mate (3.8%)
  5. Gem (3.3%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. The Block Winner (Nine) — 2.506 million
  2. The Block Grand Final (Nine) — 2.218 million
  3. Nine News — 1.386 million
  4. Seven News — 1.311 million
  5. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.225 million
  6. 7pm ABC News — 1.163 million
  7. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.098 million
  8. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.040 million
  9. 7.30 (ABC) — 1 million
  10. Nine News 6.30 — 976,000

Top metro programs:

  1. The Block Winner (Nine) — 1.812 million
  2. The Block Grand Final (Nine) –1.579 million
  3. Seven News — 1.050 million

Losers: The Verdict and its 769,000 national (551,000 metro, 218,000) viewers straight after The Block. It was the crappiest episode so far — even worse than the first one eight weeks ago. Nine says it is returning in 2016. Not without some structural change. Nine viewers gave it a massive thumbs down: 1.7 million viewers fled Nine and could not be convinced in any way to stay and watch The Verdict.Metro news and current affairs:

  1.  Seven News — 1.050 million
  2.  Seven News/Today Tonight — 996,000
  3.  Nine News — 980,000
  4. Nine News (6.30pm) — 976,000
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 908,000
  6. 7pm ABC News – 855,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 717,000
  8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 551,000
  9. Ten Eyewitness News — 498,000
  10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 424,000

Morning TV:

  1. Today (Nine) – 374,000
  2. Sunrise (Seven) – 372,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC 1,  116,000 + 58,000 on News 24) — 174,000
  4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 163,000
  5. Mornings (Nine) — 120,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 75,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. TVHITS, Fox8 (2.1%)
  2. UKTV, LIfeStyle, Nick Jr (1.9%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. The Simpsons (Fox8) – 67,000
  2. Peppa Pig (Nick Jr) — 67,000
  3. Peppa Pig (Nick Jr) — 66,000
  4. When Henry Met (Disney Jr) – 60,000
  5. The Simpsons (Fox8) – 58,000

*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.