The Glenn Dyer breakdown: Seven’s night in a close one as The Block All Stars did well for Nine and Downton Abbey did likewise for Seven. The Block All Stars had 1.399 million metro and nearly 2.1 million national viewers, its best audience figures so far this season. Downton Abbey had 1.337 million metro and 1.94 million national viewers. But Nine did better in the major demos, leaving Seven with the “all people” bragging rights.

Nine’s quick turnaround 45-minute special on Oscar Pistorius after 60 Minutes from 8.30pm averaged 742,000 in metro markets and 1.034 million nationally. Why it couldn’t have been cut down and run instead of the helium-like Aerosmith thingie Liz Hayes wafted through on 60 Minutes is beyond me. That’s what it was more suited for, and it would have had more viewers. As it was 60 Minutes had more than 1.7 million national viewers, including over 1.1 million in metro markets.

A room reveal for The Block All Stars didn’t seem to go down well, or rather, the task for this week was unsettling. Who cares until the last program? The Force, Border Security and Sunday Night all did well for Seven, especially in regional areas.

Ten at least had a good night, two nights after CEO James Warburton was “terminated” by the board. It was a comfortable third as Elementary averaged 869,000 metro viewers (and 1.177 million nationally) at 8.30pm. MasterChef: The Professionals struggled to 893,000 metro viewers and 1.208 million nationally in the absence of My Kitchen Rules on Seven. ABC1’s Midsomer Murders at 8.30pm averaged 714,000 metro and 1.107 million national viewers. Nationally Insiders on ABC1 at 9am had 376,000 viewers (including 158,000 watching across the country on News 24), and Ten’s Meet the Press had 100,000 (including 74,000 in metro markets, up a touch from the debut a week ago. Those 4000 extra metro viewers lifted the national audience from last week’s 96,000). Ten was third in all five metro markets, but in the regional markets, it finished fourth behind the ABC, again.

Tonight: The ABC’s usual four hours and more of news and current affairs. Four Corners and Australian Story will be worth a look. Seven has My Kitchen Rules and then Revenge. Ten has MasterChef: The Professionals, but avoid the tragic Can of Worms at 8.30pm. Nine has The Block All Stars.

Last week: Seven easily won the second week of 2013 ratings in metro and regional markets, winning the main and digital channels and the main demos. Ten had a tough week, finishing behind the ABC in “all people”. Nationally, Seven had all the top 10 most-watched programs across the country last week, starting with MKR on top and finishing with Last Resort at 10.

The top 10 national programs (metro and regional combined):

  1. The Block All Stars (Nine) — 2.095 million.
  2. Downton Abbey (Seven) — 1.940 million.
  3. The Force (Seven) — 1.871 million.
  4. Sunday Night (Seven) — 1.798 million.
  5. Seven News — 1.796 million.
  6. Border Security (Seven) — 1.789 million.
  7. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 1.716 million.
  8. Nine News — 1.624 million.
  9. ABC1 News — 1.260 million.
  10. MasterChef: The Professionals (Ten) — 1.208 million.

The metro winners:

  1. The Block All Stars (Nine, 6.30pm) — 1.399 million.
  2. Downton Abbey (Seven, 8.45pm) — 1.337 million.
  3. The Force (Seven, 8pm) — 1.292 million.
  4. Border Security (Seven, 7.30pm) — 1.263 million.
  5. Seven News (6pm) — 1.210 million.
  6. Sunday Night (Seven, 6.30pm) — 1.187 million.
  7. 60 Minutes (Nine, 7.30pm) — 1.168 million.
  8. Nine News (6pm) — 1.083 million.

Metro news and current affairs: Sunday Night had a good story on football and brain damage, 60 Minutes had a good yarn on super bugs.

  1. Seven News (6pm) — 1.210 million.
  2. Sunday Night (Seven, 6.30pm) — 1.187 million.
  3. 60 Minutes (Nine, 7.30pm) — 1.168 million.
  4. Nine News (6pm) — 1.083 million.
  5. ABC1 News (7pm) — 859,000.
  6. Ten News (5pm) — 599,000.
  7. World News Australia (SBS ONE, 6.30pm) — 172,000.

In the morning: Week two for the new-look Meet the Press and it had 4000 or so extra metro viewers. Don’t break out the Bodega yet!

  1. Weekend Sunrise (Seven, 8am) — 362,000.
  2. Weekend Today (Nine, 8am) — 292,000.
  3. Landline (ABC1, noon) — 219,000.
  4. Insiders (ABC, 9am) — 146,000 + 99,000 on News 24.
  5. Offsiders (ABC1, 10.30am) — 129,000.
  6. Inside Business (ABC1, 10am) — 122,000.
  7. Meet The Press (Ten, 10.30am) — 74,000.

Metro free to air:  Seven (three channels) won with a share of 31%, from Nine (three) on 29.1%, Ten (three) was on 20%, the ABC (four) was on 15.5%, and SBS (three) ended with 4.4%.

Main channels: Seven won with a share of 24.9% from Nine on 21.4%, Ten was on 14.5%, ABC1 was on 11.9% and SBS ONE ended with 3.65%.

Metro digital: GO won with 4.9%, clearly ahead of 7TWO with 3.2%. Eleven was on 3%, 7mate was on 2.9%, Gem was on 2.8%, ONE ended on 2.5%, ABC2 was on 2%, News 24 was on 1%, ABC3 was on 0.6%, SBS TWO was on 0.5% and NITV was on 0.2%. The 11 digital channels had a moderate free-to-air share last night of 23.7%.

Metro including pay TV:  Seven (three channels) won with a share of 26%, from Nine (three) on 24.4%, Ten (three) was on 16.8%, the ABC (four) was on 13%, and SBS (three) ended with 3.7%. The 16 free-to-air channels had a total viewing share of 86.1% last night. The 11 digital channels share totalled 19.8%, the five main channels shared 66.3%. The 200-plus channels on Foxtel gave pay TV a share of 13.9% last night.

The top five pay TV channels were:

  1. Fox Sports 3 — 5.6%.
  2.  TV 1 — 3.1%.
  3. Fox Footy — 2.4%.
  4. Fox 8 — 2.3%.
  5.  Fox Sports 1 — 2.0%.

The five most-watched programs on pay TV were:

  1. Cricket: First Test, India v Australia (Fox Sports 3) — 172,000.
  2. AFL: NAB Cup, Greater Western Sydney v Carlton (Fox Footy) — 167,000.
  3.  AFL: NAB Cup, Sydney v Carlton (Fox Footy) — 145,000.
  4. Grease (TV1) — 96,000.
  5. A-League: Melbourne Heart v Sydney (Fox Sports 1) — 78,000.

Regional:  Prime/7Qld (three channels) won with a share of 32.4%, from WIN/NBN (three) on 30.2%, the ABC (four channels) was on 17%, SC Ten (three) was on 16.5%, and SBS (three) ended with 4%. Prime/7Qld won the main channels with 24.8% from WIN/NBN on 22.1%, ABC1 was on 12.9% and SC Ten was on 10.9%. GO won the digitals with 5.1%, from 7TWO on 3.9% and 7mate on 3.7%. The 11 digital channels had a total free-to-air viewing share of 26%.

The five most-watched programs in regional markets were:

  1. The Block All Stars — 696,000.
  2. Sunday Night — 612,000.
  3. Downton Abbey — 603,000.
  4.  Seven News — 586,000.
  5. The Force — 579,000.

Major metro markets: Seven won everywhere (overall and main channels) except overall in Brisbane, where Nine got up. Ten was third across the country in a solid effort from the struggling network. GO clean swept all five markets in the digitals and pushed Nine closer to Seven overall.

(All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight all people)

Source: Oztam, TV Networks data