A feat of football last night as the NRL on Nine went up against the AFL on Seven, and the World Cup qualifier was on Nine’s Go network. The NRL game between Cronulla and the Melbourne Storm (a re-run of last year’s grand final, won by Cronulla, and the second game this season between the two — the first was won by Cronulla) was won by Melbourne, the Swans beat the Bulldogs, and Australia won the World Cup soccer qualifier. The bottom line is that the NRL game was on free-to-air and on pay TV.

The NRL game had 700,000 national viewers on Nine and Gem, and 235,000 on Fox Sports, the AFL had 640,000 on Seven and 7mate and 187,000 on Fox Sports, while the soccer had 371,000 on GO (Nine) and 179,000 on Fox Sports.

In regional markets, Seven news was tops with 671,000, Seven news/TT was second with 517,000, The 5.30pm part of The Chase was on 475,000, ACA was 4th with 360,000 and the 7pm ABC news was fifth with 354,000

And by the way the ABC News (News 24) coverage of the UK election on Friday morning was weak and uninformed and focusing too much on ABC people in London. UK news sites were reporting that Conservative Home Secretary Amber Rudd (she replaced Theresa May in the role) lost a 7000 majority in her seat of Hastings and was forced to a recount, and that the early coverage in UK Tory supporters (such as the Daily Mail) had turned on Theresa May. That was all ignored, and if I could pick that up from a couple of UK news sites, then why not producers at ABC News or in London? Pollster Anthony Green concentrated too much on the unknown — the evolving vote, which he compared to the exit poll. The reality is that the count was confused and far more dramatic. He should have been looking at some of the early votes, and Amber Rudd being forced to a recount was early (biggish) news.

The big story is the failure of the snap poll strategy, the damage it could do to the Tories and the Prime Minister and Brexit, not if the exit poll is accurate and the “swing” or whatever. It was clear that a 19-point lead at the start of the campaign seven weeks ago has been eroded and the Tories forced into a very close result (and the Scottish National Party seems to be a big loser, but that also seems to have escaped the ABC in London on Friday morning).

Network channel share:

  1. Seven (28.5%)
  2. Nine (27.1%)
  3. Ten (22.4%)
  4. ABC (15.9%)
  5. SBS 6.1%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (18.0%)
  2. Seven (17,8%)
  3. Ten (16.3%)
  4. ABC (10.2%)
  5. SBS ONE (3.9%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. GO (4.9%)
  2. 7TWO (4.7%)
  3. One, 7mate (3.5%)
  4. Gem (3.7%)
  5. ABC (2.8%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News  — 1.713 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.398 million
  3. Nine/NBN News — 1.337 million
  4. Nine/NBN News — 1.320 million
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.191 million
  6. Masterchef Australia (Ten) — 1.148 million
  7. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 1.136 million
  8. ABC News — 1.304 million
  9. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 861,000
  10. Home and Away (Seven) — 763,000 *

*Pre-empted in some markets by the AFL coverage

Top metro programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.042 million
  2. Nine News — 1.031 million
  3. Nine News 6.30 — 1.014 million
  4. Seven News/Today Tonight — 881,000*

*Pre-empted in some markets by the AFL coverage

Losers: Anyone who didn’t like food (Masterchef) or football (three codes).

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.042 million
  2. Nine News — 1.031 million
  3. Nine News (6.30pm) — 1.014 million
  4. Seven News/Today Tonight — 881,000*
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 965,000
  6. 7pm ABC News – 918,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 776,000
  8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 613,000
  9. Ten News — 500,000
  10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 451,000

*Pre-empted in some markets by the AFL coverage

Morning (National) TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 549,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 447,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC,  175,000 + 73,000 on News 24) — 248,000
  4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 235,000
  5. Today Extra (Nine) — 186,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 122,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox League  (3.1%)
  2. Fox Footy (2.8%)
  3. TVHITS  (2.5%)
  4. Fox Sports 506 (2.2%)
  5. LifeStyle (2.1%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. NRL: Cronulla v Melbourne (Fox League) — 235,000
  2. AFL: Sydney v Footscray (Fox Footy) — 187,000
  3. Soccer: Australia v Saudi Arabia (Fox Sports 506) — 179,000
  4. The Late Show (Fox League) — 86,000
  5. NRL: Thursday Night with Matty Johns (Fox League) — 79,000

*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.