Zumbo’s Just Desserts and Australia’s Cheapest Weddings: the yin and the yang of Australian TV programming. One a high cost, high intent cooking show aimed squarely at female viewers and the other, a moderate cost program also aimed squarely at female viewers. Both united by ratings failure.

Last night Zumbo and his Just Desserts managed 1.067 million national viewers (657,000 metro and 410,000 regional viewers). In Seven’s ratings terms, that is a flop (but a hit if it was on Ten). It is another example where the enthusiasm for the program in regional markets is helping support what would be a metro flop. Home and Away (1.259 million national, 764,000 metro, 495,000 regional viewers) is another where solid support from regional viewers is helping sustain this stalwart for Seven. But 657,000 viewers is not enough to justify the program continuing in the 7.30pm timeslot for Seven. It drags down the rest of the night.

And no such regional sustenance for Australia’s Cheapest Weddings: 690,000 nationally (391,000 in the metros, which would normally condemn it to the ratings hook) and 299,000 in the regions. Nine’s Married At First Sight (1.207 million, 843,000 metro, 364,000 in the regions) won the wedding stakes night, by a mile, kilometre or daylight.

But then there is Australian Survivor. Yet another weak night as viewers again failed to support it in the numbers Ten had dreamed of  — 907,000 nationally (barely a hit, even for Ten), with 662,000 in the metros and 245,000 in the regionals where viewers are still not interested.  With its high cost budget, Australian Survivor can’t be washing its face financially or in ratings terms. Will see Ten have to run ‘make good’ ads to pacify sponsors and advertisers of the program?

And to rub salt in it for Ten, Have You been Paying Attention, which follows Survivor, again did better than its lead in: 942,000 nationally (a hit given its modest budget), with 694,000  in the metros and 248,000 in the regions.

The Block on Nine on Monday night is usually a bit weaker than Sundays, and last night it dipped to 1.293 million nationally from 1.522 million the night before. It had 903,000 metro and 390,000 regional viewers. The Block was the most popular non-news or current affairs program on TV last night nationally and in the metros (in the regions it was Home and Away).

So what did all this mean for the ratings? Well, in the metros Nine was a clear winner in Total People and the main channels, with Seven in a very weak second spot. Ten was third overall, with the ABC in fourth, but in the main channels the ABC was third and Ten was fourth. Seven was a big winner in the regions in Total People, and a narrow winner (0.4%) over Nine in the main channels. The ABC was a narrow third in the main channels, but Ten was a narrow third in Total People. In the metros Nine and Ten dominated the demos, especially among female viewers with The Block, Married At First Sight and Have You been Paying Attention (males).

In the regionals, Seven News was again top with 642,000 viewers, With Seven News/Today Tonight on 500,000. Home and Away was third with 495,000, The Chase Australia 5.30pm had 488,000 and Zumbo’s Just Desserts had 410,000.

In the mornings, Sunrise with 337,000 started the week with a win over Today with 318,000, but a week is a long time in TV ratings (especially at breakfast) these days.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (28.3%)
  2. Seven (23.9%)
  3. Ten (20.5%)
  4. ABC (20.3%)
  5. SBS (7.0%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (21.2%)
  2. Seven (16.6%)
  3. ABC (15.5%)
  4. Ten (14.4%)
  5. SBS ONE (5.0%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. ONE (3.8%)
  2. 7TWO (3.4%)
  3. ABC 2, GO (3.1%)
  4. 7mate (2.6%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News  — 1.813 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.596 million
  3. Nine News — 1.440 million
  4. The Block (Nine) — 1.293 million
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.264 million
  6. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.259 million
  7. ABC News — 1.222 million
  8. Australian Story (ABC) — 1.215 million
  9. Married At First Sight (Nine) — 1.207 million
  10. 7.30 (ABC) — 1.163 million

Top metro programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.171 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.095 million
  3. Nine News 6.30 — 1.068million
  4. Nine News — 1.059 million

Losers: Zumbo’s Just Desserts and Australia’s Cheapest Weddings.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.171 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.095 million
  3. Nine News (6.30pm) — 1.068 million
  4. Nine News — 1.059 million
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) — 885,000
  6. Australian Story (ABC) — 828,000
  7. ABC News – 918,000
  8. 7.30 (ABC) — 805,000
  9. Four Corners (ABC) — 793,000
  10. Ten Eyewitness News — 500,000
  11. Media Watch (ABC) — 674,000

Morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 337,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 318,000
  3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 164,000
  4. Today Extra (Nine) — 156,000
  5. News Breakfast (ABC,  95,000 + 42,000 on News 24) — 137,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 77,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. TVHITS  (2.7%)
  2. Fox 8  (2.1%)
  3. LifeStyle  (2.0%)
  4. UKTV (1.8%)
  5. Fox Sports 4 (1.6%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) —106,000
  2. Monday Night With Matty Johns (Fox Sports 1) — 100,000
  3. AFL: On The Couch (Fox Footy) — 91,000
  4. The Simpsons (Fox8) – 68,000
  5. Family Guy (Fox8) — 57,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2016. 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.