The Bachelor returned to Ten last night for its best ever start — 1.24 million nationally, 940,000 in the metros, and a solid 304,000 in the regions. That saw Ten snap up the key demos, leaving Seven and Nine to boast about how they went in total people (Seven) and the main channels (Nine).

The Bach is former rugby player, Nick “The Honey Badger” Cummins. After a weakish performance by MasterChef for Ten, the strong return of the Bach is good news. The Bach easily beat The Block on Nine which managed 1.19 million national and 823,000 in the metros, but did better in the regions with 373,000.

In regional markets Seven News was top with 569,000 people, then Seven News/TT with 474,000, followed by Home and Away with 392,000, The 5.30pm part of The Chase Australia was fourth with 376,000 and The Block was fifth with 373,000.

Network channel share:

  1. Seven (27.0%)
  2. Nine (26.1%)
  3. Ten (22.0%)
  4. ABC (16.7%)
  5. SBS (8.1%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (18.9%)
  2. Seven (18.3%)
  3. Ten (16.3%)
  4. ABC (11.9%)
  5. SBS ONE (5.7%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. GO (4.3%)
  2. ONE (3.9%)
  3. 7TWO (3.4%)
  4. 7mate (3.1%)
  5. ABC Kids/Comedy (2.9%)

Top metro programs:

  1. Seven News– 1.066 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.060 million
  3. Nine News — 962,000
  4. The Bachelor (Ten) — 940,000
  5. Nine News 6.30 — 916,000
  6. The Block (Nine) — 823,000
  7. A Current Affair (Nine) —763,000
  8. 7pm ABC News — 724,000
  9. Home and Away (Seven) — 712,000
  10. Anh’s Brush With Fame (ABC) — 654,000

Losers: Seven, Nine 

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News– 1.066 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.060 million
  3. Nine News— 962,000
  4. Nine News 6.30 — 916,000
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) —763,000
  6. 7pm ABC News — 724,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 547,000
  8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 517,000
  9. Ten Eyewitness News — 400,000
  10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 252,000

Morning (National) TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 495,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 357,000

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 75,000
  2. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 59,000
  3. The Bolt Report (Sky News), Wentworth (showcase) — 58,000
  4. Paw Patrol (Nick Jr) — 51,000