Close to a record high share of 38.1% for the various digital free-to-air channels in metro markets last night, with a peak of more than 43% in Adelaide. It’s a judgement on just how weak the offerings were on the various main channels for the five networks last night, with the exception of SBS, which continues to see the usual summer surge in viewing away from Nine, Seven, Ten and the ABC.

And the successes of 9Life and SBS Food (both lifestyle focused channels) continued last night with metro shares of 2.4% and 1.8% respectively, making a mockery of Foxtel claims the two channels would not work. Fusion Strategy’s Steve Allen has pointed out that the two new FTA digital channels have a better viewing profile than similar channels on Foxtel.

The other point from last night which told us that the night was boring was the ranking in metro markets. The top 7 most watched programs were news and current affairs programs from 6pm to 8pm with the first non news program the last session of play in the boring first test between Australia and the West Indies from Hobart on Nine. Not one metro program had a million or more viewers for another night.

Network channel share:

  1. Seven (27.1%)
  2. Nine (26.4%)
  3. Ten (20.6%)
  4. ABC (17,4%)
  5. SBS (8.4%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (17.3%)
  2. Seven (16.3%)
  3. Ten (13.3%)
  4. ABC (10.5%)
  5. SBS ONE (4.6%)

Top digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (6.0%)
  2. GO, 7mate (4.8%))
  3. Eleven (4.7%)
  4. ABC2 (3.9%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1.  Nine News — 1.338 million
  2.  Seven News — 1.224 million
  3.  7pm ABC News — 958,000
  4.  Seven News/Today Tonight — 926,000
  5. The Chase Australia (Seven, 5.30pm) — 920,000
  6. 7.30 (ABC) — 905,000
  7. Nine News (6.30) — 899,000
  8. A Current Affair (Nine) — 876,000
  9. First Test: Australia v West Indies, Day 1, session 3 (Nine) — 873,000
  10. Mighty Cruise Ships (Seven) — 782,000

Top metro programs: not one program had a million or more metro viewers, again.

Losers: Us viewers, but many of us made other arrangements, so really it was the TV networks who programmed dross on their main channels, and the advertisers who supported that rubbish. But the networks still held on to us when we watched on their digital channels.Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 981,000
  2. Nine News — 958,000
  3. Nine News (6.30) — 899,000
  4. Seven News/Today Tonight — 880,000
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 748,000
  6. ABC News – 651,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 611,000
  8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 520,000
  9. Ten Eyewitness News — 465,000
  10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 418,000

Morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 345,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 303,000
  3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 150,000
  4. News Breakfast (ABC 1,  92,000 + 52,000 on News 24) — 144,000
  5. Mornings – Summer (Nine) — 93,000*
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 58,000

*Pre-empted in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth by the Test cricket

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox8  (2.7%)
  2. LifeStyle  (2.6%)
  3. TVHITS  (2.4%)
  4. UKTV (1.9%)
  5. A&E, Nick Jr, Classics (1.5%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Grand Designs Australia (LifeStyle) — 113,000
  2. The Simpsons (Fox8) – 92,000
  3. The Simpsons (Fox8) – 73,000
  4. Arrow (Fox8) — 64,000
  5. Building The Dream (LifeStyle) — 58,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2015. 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.