Good news for Seven and not so good for Nine from last night’s TV, but struggling Ten was flattened.

Seven successfully launched The X Factor 2013 on its  journey last night with 2.472 million national/ 1.633 million metro/ 839,000 regional viewers from 7.30pm. That’s better than in 2012 when X Factor started on August 20 and averaged 2.311 million national/ 1,598 million metro/ 713,000 regional viewers with what was a very strong opening episode.

Seven’s Please Marry My Boy at 9pm had 1.289 million national/ 861,000 metro/ 428,000 regional viewers. Not solid, but more regional viewers than Big Brother, which tells us something about the challenges ahead for that program. Nine returned Big Brother — in all its hideous glory, including Sonia Kruger — with 1.734 million national/ 1.309 million metro/ 425,000 regional viewers from 7pm. X Factor went for 90 minutes, Big Brother, two hours.

But that was down on the opening night of Big Brother 2012 she  it aired on August 13. In fact the fall from last year will worry Nine, no matter what it says today or tomorrow or whenever. The program’s opening in 2012 was 2.251 million national/ 1.618 million metro/ 633,000 regional viewers. The fall of more than half a million viewers nationally, and over 300,000 in the metros is troubling.

Failure to crack the 2 million mark on the opening night for a programs like this and promoted so heavily spells a problematic season. The failure of Big Brother to garner regional viewers tells us that it will find it very tough to build on those figures last night in coming weeks. And the metro audience will gradually slip back — as it did last year, as canny viewers (in the target demos) wait until the final rounds of the program to reconnect with it.

Ten was crushed with Wantedunwanted by viewers — last night it had 654,000 national/ 453,000 metro/ 201,000 regional viewers, compared with last week’s 756,000 national/ 519,000 metro/ 237,000 regional viewers (and 999,000 national/ 649,000 metro/ 350,000 regional viewers for its debut at the start of this month). That’s a loss of 30- 35%. Wanted was a very distant fourth at 8.30pm. Ten should start asking current viewers to be on the look out for former Wanted viewers. Offer a reward for their return. Ten’s metro main channel audience share was 10% last night, which isn’t the stuff of a comeback.

But some joy for Ten this morning — CBS has commissioned a second season of Under the Dome (tonight, 8.30pm) , Ten’s best foreign buy this year. Next year, the Domeites are joined by refugees from Big Brother, led by Sonia Kruger seeking asylum from the Gold Coast?

Network channel share:

  1. Seven (31.5%)
  2. Nine (29.1%)
  3. ABC (19.0%)
  4. Ten (15.6%)
  5. SBS (4.8%)

Network main channels:

  1. Seven (24.3%)
  2. Nine (23.0%)
  3. ABC1 (14.3%)
  4. Ten (10.0%)
  5. SBS ONE (4.1%)

Top digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (4.4%)
  2. Gem (3.1%)
  3. Eleven, GO (3.0%)
  4. ABC2, 7mate (2.9%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. The X Factor (Seven) — 2.472 million
  2. Seven News — 2.080 million
  3. Nine News — 2.017 million
  4. Big Brother (Nine) — 1.734 million
  5. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.576 million
  6. ABC1 News — 1.561 million
  7. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.520 million
  8. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.388 million
  9. Australian Story (ABC 1) — 1.359 million
  10. Please Marry My Boy (Seven) — 1.289 million

Top metro programs:

  1. The X Factor (Seven) — 1.633 million
  2. Nine News — 1.430 million
  3. Seven News — 1.373 million
  4. Big Brother (Nine) — 1.309 million
  5. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.234 million
  6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.190 million
  7. ABC1 News — 1.029 million

Losers:  Ten. Simply squished. Warning bells for Big Brother. 

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Nine News — 1.430 million
  2. Seven News — 1.373 million
  3. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.234 million
  4.  A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.190 million
  5. ABC1 News — 1.029 million.
  6. Australian Story (ABC1) — 904,000
  7. Four Corners (ABC1) — 822,000
  8. 7.30 (ABC1) — 816,000
  9. Media Watch (ABC1) — 752,000
  10.  Ten News — 744,000

Metro morning TV:

  1. Today (Nine) – 388,000
  2. Sunrise (Seven) – 334,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC1, 47,000, News 24, 38,000) – 85,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox Sports 1 – (3.0%)
  2. LifeStyle – (2.3%)
  3. TV 1 — (2.1%)
  4. Fox 8 – (2.0%).
  5. Fox Footy – (1.8%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. NRL: Wests v Manly  (Fox Sports 1) – 238,000
  2. Monday Night With Matty Johns  (Fox Sports 1) – 120,000
  3. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 109,000
  4. AFL: Open Mike (Fox Footy) –102,000
  5. AFL: On The Couch (Fox Footy) – 94,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2013. 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.) Plus network reports.