After the Logies, the Brownlow Medal is the longest, turgid example of TV in Australia each year. It resembles an old river as it meanders through 23 bends, with the odd diversion to the billabong where Mark of the Year and Goal of the Year reside, as well as visiting a few towns along the way (last night it was the town called Dangerfield, for example, population 1). Not only did it last for three and a half hours, it probably went a bit longer. I lost track of time. It had a Leagues Club/The Club feel to it. It is a reminder that for around four years on the Monday night before the AFL Grand Final, time stands still and was served up as entertainment in the 1970s, 80s and 90’s remains constant in these days of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, snarking and photobombing.

But viewers in AFL states, especially in Melbourne, love it. It is a viewing habit passed down from generation to generation, much like the club membership and supporter scarves are handed on down through the years. A recent innovation is the Red Carpet Arrivals, a chance to look at some of the AFL Players and their consorts. It is a sort of sporting version of The Bachelor, and The Bachelorette (or those two Ten meat market programs are a spin off intellectually from the Red Carpet arrivals).

The coverage had an average of 1.317 million nationally on Seven and 7mate and a further 246,000 on Fox Footy on Foxtel: that made the national audience more than 1.56 million. The Red Carpet had 901,000 nationally on Seven and 7mate and a further 116,000 on Fox Footy for a total national audience of 1.017 million people. The Block hacked away for Nine with a solid 1.254 million national viewers.

Naturally last night’s event dominated TV viewing and pushed Seven to a big win in the metros, regionals and nationally.

The most watched regional programs last night were: Seven News with 594,000, Home and Away, 476,000, Seven News/Today Tonight with 460,000, The Chase Australia 5.30pm, 420,000 and The Block was fifth with 369,000.The Brownlow telecast finished well down with just 277,000 viewers on Seven and 7mate.

Network channel share:

  1. Seven (37.6%)
  2. Nine (22.9%)
  3. Ten (17.1%)
  4. ABC (17.0%)
  5. SBS (5.4%)

Network main channels:

  1. Seven (28.0%)
  2. Nine (16.4%)
  3. Ten (12.3%)
  4. ABC (12.1%)
  5. SBS ONE (3.8%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (4.2%)
  2. 7mate (3.9%)
  3. ABC 2 (3.2%)
  4. ONE (3.1%)
  5. GO (2.6%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News  — 1.783 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.426 million*
  3. Nine News — 1.348 million
  4. The Brownlow Medal (Seven, 1.138 million, 179,000 on7mate) — 1.317 million
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.305 million
  6. The Block (Nine) — 1.254 million
  7. ABC News — 1.136 million
  8. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 1.134 million
  9. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.044 million*
  10. Nine News 6.30 — 1.023 million

*Pre-empted in some markets by the Brownlow Medal coverage

Top metro programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.189 million
  2. Brownlow Medal (Seven, 934,000, 106,000 on 7mate) — 1.040 million
  3. Nine News 6.30 — 1.015 million

Losers: No one really, not with a major viewing event like The Brownlow on Seven which destabilised the night.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.189 million
  2. Nine News (6.30pm) — 1.015 million
  3. Nine News — 995,000
  4. Seven News/Today Tonight — 966,000 *
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 965,000
  6. ABC News – 918,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 776,000
  8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 613,000
  9. Ten Eyewitness News — 500,000
  10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 451,000

*Pre-empted in Perth by the Brownlow Medal coverage

Morning TV:

  1. Today (Nine) – 309,000
  2. Sunrise (Seven) – 277,000
  3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 177,000
  4. Today Extra (Nine) — 154,000
  5. News Breakfast (ABC,  94,000 + 45,000 on News 24) — 139,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 97,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox Footy (4.9%)
  2. TVHITS  (2.0%)
  3. Nick Jr (1.9%)
  4. Fox 8  (1.8%)
  5. LifeStyle  (1.7%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. AFL: Brownlow Medal (Fox Footy) —246,000
  2. AFL:360 (Fox Footy) — 186,000
  3. AFL: Brownlow Red Carpet (Fox Footy) —116,000
  4. When Harry Met (Nick Jr) — 68,000
  5. The Simpsons (Fox8) – 67,000

*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.