Seven makes it one-all in 2008 ratings battle. It’s one-all in the 2008 ratings battle as the Seven Network held off Nine last week. After Nine won the first week with a combination of Underbelly and one-day cricket, both failed to support the network last week as Seven won Wednesday and Friday night (the Sri Lankan innings was washed out in Melbourne, allowing Seven to win that night). Seven won Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. Nine won Sunday and Thursday. Seven won Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. Nine won Melbourne and Adelaide. Seven won between 6pm and midnight with a share of 28.0% (27.2%), from Nine with 26.8% (28.7%), Ten with 22.3% (22.5%), the ABC on 16.8% (16.4%) and SBS with 6.0% (5.3%). In regional areas, Seven won through Prime/7Qld with 29.1% from WIN/NBN with 26.8%, Southern Cross (Ten) with 19.5%, the ABC on 18% and SBS on 6.7%. Including Pay TV, the metro share figures from 6pm to 11.59pm were: Seven with 22.7% share, Nine with 21.8%, Ten with 18.1%, Pay TV with 15.5%, the ABC with 13.7% and SBS with 4.8%. — Glenn Dyer

Nine gives cricket the flick again. A week ago Nine pushed the one-day match between India and Sri Lanka to Fox Sports so as not to disrupt its ratings figures. And tomorrow night it moves the Allan Border Medal presentation out of primetime to protect its zone 1 commercial share figures. The broadcast, which is due to start at 10.30pm, hasn’t rated highly in the past and that’s the justification Nine is using, but Cricket Australia is understood to be unhappy for the second week in a row. — Glenn Dyer

Last night’s TV ratings
The Winners: Eleven programs with a million or more viewers, led by So You Think You Can Dance Australia with 1.508 million from 7.30pm to 9.30pm for Ten. Next was Seven News with 1.496 million, Nine News with 1.463 million and the night session of the Australia-India game with 1.302 million from 6.30pm to well past 10pm. Seven’s new program The Zoo averaged 1.297 million at 6.30pm, followed by Seven’s other new program Bush Doctors with 1.165 million. Grey’s Anatomy was squashed by the cricket and Dance and only averaged 1.098 million. The Biggest Loser weigh-in had 1.095 million, Miss Marple on the ABC averaged 1.081 million from 8.30pm to 10pm and the Kath & Kim repeat at 7.30pm had 1.069 million. Seven’s Samantha Who? and Brothers and Sisters had 994,000 at 9.30pm. Who do You Think You Are? (from the UK) averaged 517,000 for SBS at 7.30pm.

The Losers: Robin Hood, 619,000. It’s being hit by the cricket and Dance but the dud scripts aren’t helping. It’s reaching pantomime levels. Sunday on Nine at 7.30am: down to 111,000. Dying slowly.

News & CA: Nine News won Sydney and Melbourne, Seven News won Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Ten News averaged 515,000. The 7pm ABC News, 846,000. SBS News, 161,000. Weekend Sunrise, 394,000 (early Sunrise, 179,000 at 7.30am). Sunday, 111,000. Insiders, 164,000; Inside Business, 98,000; Offsiders, 156,000; Landline, 236,000. Meet The Press, 65,000.

The Stats: Nine won with a share of 31.5% (30.1%) from Seven with 24.2% (24.1%), Ten with 24.1% (25.2%), the ABC with 14.9% (14.8%) and SBS with 5.3% (5.7%). Nine won all markets bar Perth. In regional areas a win to Nine through WIN/NBN with 32.9%, Prime/7Qld with 24.1%, Southern cross (Nine) with 19.8%, the ABC with 16.6% and SBS on 6.6%. In the 6pm to 10.30pm primetime battle Nine was tops with 27.59% (23.02% a year ago) from Seven with 20.93% (27.88%), Ten on 20.80% (14.55%), the ABC with 13.57% (17.30%), Pay TV with 12.48% (14.12%) and SBS with 4.61% (3.13%).

Glenn Dyer’s comments: In terms of audience quality Nine’s win in All People was pretty useless. The cricket was watched by a predominantly male audience, So You Think You Can Dance Australia by an overwhelmingly female audience, especially in the 25 to 54 group. Nine will be pleased, but it will know that it has not moved very far in its stated aim of attracting more female viewers. Next Sunday the cricket ends and Nine will be on its own on Sundays. 60 Minutes isn’t the sort of programming that will attract more female viewers, especially up against Dance. When the cricket goes, where will those predominantly male and older viewers head? Ms Marple is over for the time being and it’s Jekyll on the ABC next Sunday night. Tonight it’s the Oscars versus the rest. Nine is starting the broadcast at 8.30pm but there will be a red carpet special at the start, so the awards won’t start until closer to 9pm.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks, Fusion Strategy reports