Well there’s not much left on Netflix or Stan (how many programs can you watch in a day?) but that didn’t stop free to air being a black hole last night, into which every broadcast simply vanished. Nine “won” from Seven, Ten and the ABC in total people — the ABC was third in the main channels ahead of the usually weak Ten offerings. More people were watching Ten’s digital channels than were watching Ten’s main channel last night, a real thumbs down from viewers.

And does someone in the ABC have a cruel sense of humour? (Nah, it’s the ABC, that’s a non-sequitur isn’t it?) The question arises from the replacement of 7.30 with repeats of Hard Quiz. (Tom Gleeson replacing Leigh Sales?) Maybe can blame ScoMo, Malcom and weak-kneed Communications Minister Paul “Time Server” Fletcher for cutting the ABC’s budget.

In breakfast it was Sunrise 482,000 national and 277,000 metro; Today, 322,000 and 213,000; ABC News Breakfast, 292,000 and 193,000. In regional markets: Seven News, 511,000; Seven News 6.30, 466,000; 7pm ABC News, 300,000; Nine News 6.30, 282,000; ACA, 270,000.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (28.9%)
  2. Seven (23.2%)
  3. Ten (19.2%)
  4. ABC (18.0%)
  5. SBS (10.7%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (19.8%)
  2. Seven (16.1%)
  3. ABC (11.0%)
  4. Ten (9.2%)
  5. SBS ONE (6.8%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 10 Bold (5.8%)
  2. 7TWO (4.6%)
  3. 10 Peach (3.6%)
  4. ABC Kids/Comedy (3.3%)
  5. ABC News (3.2%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News 6.30 —1.460 million
  2. Seven News  — 1.442 million
  3. Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.198 million
  4. Nine/NBN News  — 1.191 million
  5. 7pm ABC News — 980,000
  6. A Current Affair (Nine)  — 922,000
  7. Hard Quiz (ABC) —745,000
  8. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 736,000
  9. Border Security (Seven) — 720,000
  10. Gold Coast Cops (Nine) — 607,000

Top metro programs: none with a million or more viewers.

Losers: People who may have wanted to watch some COVID-related current affairs on 7.30.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 976,000
  2. Seven News 6.30  — 949,000
  3. Nine News— 932,000
  4. Nine News  6.30 — 916,000
  5. 7pm ABC News — 680,000
  6. ACA (Nine) — 652,000
  7. The Project 7pm (Ten) —409,000
  8. Ten News First —- 364,000
  9. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 256,000
  10. SBS World News — 170,000

Morning (National) TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) — 482,000/277,000
  2. Today (Nine) — 322,000/213,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) — 292,000/193,000
  4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 271,000 
  5. Today Extra (Nine) — 180,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 44,000


Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Chris Smith Tonight (Sky News) — 57,000
  2. Insider The News (Sky News) — 48,000
  3. Selling Houses Australia (LifeStyle) — 38,000
  4. News Night (Sky News) — 38,000
  5. Afternoon Agenda, First Edition (Sky News) — 32,000