The Winners: MasterChef averaged 2.039 million viewers for a 90 minute episode from 7.30pm. Seven News was second with 1.558 million and Today Tonight was third with 1.526 million and Nine News was 4th with 1.284 million. The Gruen Transfer averaged a very sold 1.227 million at 9pm on the ABC, confirming that it has returned with quality unchanged in the eyes of viewers. Two and a Half Men averaged 1.151 million for the 7pm repeat on Nine, Lie to Me on Ten around 9pm averaged 1.146 million and A Current Affair was 8th with 1.126 million people. Seven’s 8pm show The Force (a repeat) averaged 1.125 million and the 7.30pm repeat of Border Security averaged 1.113 million. The 7pm ABC News averaged 1.089 million and Home and Away was 12th with 1.059 million.

The Losers: Seven ran dead last night with the 90 minute episode of MasterChef expected to dominate, as it did. Nine though saw its Hey Hey hopes continue to plunge averaging 908,000 for two hours from 7.30pm. The New Inventors on the ABC at 8pm, 664,000.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market, as did Today Tonight. ACA was again weak in Sydney, averaging 313,000, down from Nine News with 396,000. (TT averaged 350,000 in Sydney and Seven News 398,000). Why that it is, is a mystery. The 7.30 Report averaged 766,000, Lateline, 436,000, Lateline Business, 221,000 as speculation about the ALP leadership challenge spread. Ten News averaged 919,000, the late News/Sports Tonight, 335,000. SBS News at 6.30pm, 205,000. 7am Sunrise, 382,000, 7am Today, 316,000.

The Stats:

FTA: Ten won everywhere and had a share of 28.1%, with Nine on 23.2% and Seven on 23.2%. The ABC averaged 18.5% and SBS averaged 7.0%. Seven though leads the week in All People with a share of 26.0%, from Nine on 25.4% and Ten on 24.7%.

Main Channel: Ten won everywhere as well with a national share of 27.6%, from Seven with 21.3% and Nine with 21.2%. Ten now leads the main channels with a share of 23.9%, from Seven with 23.8% and Nine on 22.8%.

Digital: ABC 2 won with a share of 2.2%, from GO won with 2.0%, from 7TWO with 1.8%, SBS Two on 1.0% and ONE and ABC on 0.6% each. The six FTA digital channels had a total share of 8.2%, with Adelaide the peak on 9.5%. GO leads the week with 2.5%, from 7TWO with 2.2%.

Pay TV: Ten won with a share of 23.6%, from Nine and Seven on 19.4% each, the ABC on 15.5%, Pay TV, 13.8% and SBS, 5.9%. The 11 FTA channels had a total share of 86.2%, Pay TV’s 100 plus channels shared in the 13.8%.

Regional: A small win here for WIN/NBN with a share of 26.5%, from SC Ten on 26.3%, Prime/7Qld on 25.4%, the ABC, 16.0% and SBS, 5.9%. The main channels were won by SC Ten with 25.5%, WIN/NBN on 24.5% and Prime/7Qld with 23.8%. GO won the digitals with a share of 2.0%. 7TWO and ABC 2 were on 1.6% each. WIN/NBN lead the week with 28.4%, from Prime/7Qld on 26.2%.

(All shares on a combined overnight 6pm to midnight All People basis)

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Hey Hey it’s Saturday — two hours of fluff and puff. Only 908,000 people watched those two hours last night. Last night’s episode was same old, same old. An audience of 381,000 in Melbourne boosted Hey Hey, that was the 5th highest in the market. By way of contrast, in Perth, Hey Hey averaged just 54,000 people (around number 32 in the most watched list in that market) and Nine’s combined share (including GO) was just 14.8%, behind the ABC’s 16.3%. WIN, which owns Nine Perth and Adelaide isn’t very pleased.

TONIGHT: Black hole for Seven, MasterChef for Ten and Glee returns, Nine has Sea Patrol, the ABC has the Abe Safron Story at 8.30pm, which would have been a very good Underbelly tale for Nine, instead of the confected rubbish we have got in this series. SBS has the World Cup. New Zealand plays Paraguay at 2am tomorrow. Go you sheep hustlers, go.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports