The highlight of TV viewing at the weekend — yesterday’s big win by the Swans. Otherwise it was a pretty lean two and a bit days. Seven is really just running dead, ahead of the start of the Olympics this weekend.

Ten came back to Earth with a thump last night — nothing on of any interest. Spelling Bee is dying on air with 528,000 national viewers (365,000 metro/163,000 regional). Not good enough, even for Ten. Ten was beaten in the main channels in the metros by the ABC — and beaten in total people and the main channels in the regions by the ABC and therefore finished a weak fourth.

Seven won the regionals by a mile, and, in the metros, Seven won total people. Nine was a narrow winner in the main channels thanks to a good night by 60 Minutes and the Ross Coulthart story on MH370. 60 Minutes — 1.512 million national viewers (a high for the year so far), including 1.075 million metros. Except for that, Nine struggled and will do so this week.

Barracuda left the pool last night with 608,000 national viewers (432,000 metro/176,000 regional viewers) for the ABC.

In the regions, Seven News was tops with 577,000 people, followed by Nine News with 479,000, 60 minutes was third with 437,000, 7pm ABC News was 4th with 411,000 and The Force on Seven was fifth with 406,000.

The Pauline Hanson documentary, Please Explain!, on SBS did well — 544,000 national viewers (405,000 metro/139.000 regional), but that regional figure was very low given that the recent senate election showed all her support came from regional Australia. It was the 22nd most watched show in regional markets, which is pretty weak. In fact the metro audience had a better reception — 14th most watched program on the night.

Sunrise beat Today last week, 321,000 metro viewers to 312,000, but both programs seem to be one long series of give-aways (cash, cars and more) interspersed by the odd interview, a bit of star-gazing and news and sport. Very average TV if all you want is a quick news update while you bolt down a coffee at home or on a bus, train or the back seat of a car.

Network channel share:

  1. Seven (31.1%)
  2. Nine (28.8%)
  3. Ten (16.4%)
  4. ABC (15.5%)
  5. SBS (8.1%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (20.0%)
  2. Seven (19.4%)
  3. ABC (10.7%)
  4. Ten (10.4%)
  5. SBS ONE (6.5%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 7mate (5.3%)
  2. GO (4.2%)
  3. ONE (3.6%)
  4. 7flix (3.5%)
  5. 7TWO (3.1%))

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News  — 1.788 million
  2. Nine News — 1.647 million
  3. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 1.512 million
  4. Sunday Night (Seven) — 1.199 million
  5. Border Security (Seven) — 1.186 million
  6. The Force (Seven) — 1.168 million
  7. 7pm ABC News — 1.079 million
  8. Love Child (Nine) — 1.052 million
  9. Grand Designs NZ (ABC) — 1.046 million
  10. Bones (Seven) — 690,000

Top metro programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.210 million
  2. Nine News — 1.1168 million
  3. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 1.075 million

Losers: Ten viewers. And Nine viewers, after 60 Minutes.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.210 million
  2. Nine News — 1.168 million
  3. 60 Minutes (Nine) – 1.075 million
  4. Sunday Night (Seven) — 804,000
  5. 7pm ABC News – 727,000
  6. Ten Eyewitness News — 342,000
  7. SBS World News  — 167,000

Morning TV:

  1. Insiders (ABC, 247,000 and 109,000 on News 24) — 356,000
  2. Weekend Today (Nine) – 281,00
  3. Landline (ABC) — 270,000
  4. Weekend Sunrise (Seven) – 261,00
  5. Offsiders (ABC) — 149,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox 8  (2.8%)
  2. LifeStyle  (1.9%)
  3. TVHITS  (1.9%)
  4. UKTV, Fox Classics (1.7%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. NRL: Souths v Canberra (Fox Sports 1) — 187,000
  2. NRL: Manly v Newcastle (Fox Sports 1)– 186,000
  3. AFL: Adelaide v Essendon (Fox Footy) – 173,000
  4. AFL: Melbourne v Gold Coast (Fox Footy) — 142,000
  5. F1: German GP (Fox Sports 5) — 131,000

Pay TV channel shares

  1. Fox Footy (4.4%)
  2. Fox Sports 1 (3.7%)
  3. Fox Sports 3 (3.5%)
  4. Fox8 (2.1%)
  5. TVHITS (1.9%)

*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.