The Block season final Glenn Dyer's TV Ratings ratings
(Image: Nine)

Now that’s not a good look, no matter how much Nine boasts about the success of this year’s season of The Block.

While what we saw of last night’s series finale and winners’ announcement, what was not given much play at all was the near 20% slump in viewing levels from 2017. 

Like the 2018 season generally, The Block’s finals figures were down sharply from last year. The winners announcement last night averaged 2.80 million nationally — that’s 673,000 fewer viewers than the 3.47 million who watched the 2017 winner, a fall of 19%. The finale lead up averaged 2.34 million nationally last night — 481,000 fewer than 2.82 million a year ago, or a fall of 17%. The Block went from 2017’s mega hit, to very much a faded version of that last night. The figures were solid, but compared with a year ago, nothing to boast about. 60 Minutes saw its ratings boosted by following The Block — the 1.52 million reflected that positioning and not the content. In the morning ABC TV’s Insiders averaged a solid 522,000 — 200,000 fewer than last week’s post-Wentworth byelection edition.

The winner’s announcement averaged 834,000 in regional markets last night, with the finale averaging 656,000. 60 Minutes was third with 481,000, Seven’s 6pm News was on 438,000, and the 7pm ABC News was fifth with 342,000.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (42.3%)
  2. Seven (24.4%)
  3. ABC (15.3%)
  4. Ten (11.6%)
  5. SBS (6.4%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (33.4%)
  2. Seven (15.0%)
  3. ABC (11.1%)
  4. Ten (8.1%)
  5. SBS ONE (3.9%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. GO (4.1%)
  2. 7mate (4.0%)
  3. 7TWO (3.6%)
  4. Gem (2.5%)
  5. ABC Kids/Comedy (2.4%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. The Block Winner (Nine) — 2.617 million
  2. The Block Finale (Nine) — 2.323 million
  3. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 1.525 million
  4. Seven News — 1.301 million
  5. Nine/NBN News — 1.267 million
  6. 7pm ABC News — 1.070 million
  7. Sunday Night (Seven) — 770,000
  8. All Together Now (Seven) — 761,000
  9. The Modern Royals Tour Down Under (Nine) — 699,000
  10. Kevin McLeod’s Top 10 (ABC) — 666,000

Top metro programs:

  1. The Block Winner (Nine) — 1.865 million
  2. The Block Finale (Nine) — 1.674 million
  3. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 1.044 million

Losers: No one but Nine on the final night of The Block.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 1.044 million
  2. Nine News— 936,000
  3. Seven News — 863,000
  4. 7pm ABC News — 727,000
  5. Sunday Night (Seven) — 531,000
  6. Ten Eyewitness News — 345,000
  7. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 322,000
  8. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 230,000
  9. SBS World News — 137,000

Morning (National) TV:

  1. Insiders (ABC, ABC News) — 522,000
  2. Landline (ABC) — 389,000
  3. Weekend Sunrise (Seven) — 341,000
  4. Weekend Today (Nine) — 313,000
  5. Offsiders (ABC) — 214,000
  6. Sports Sunday (Nine) — 208,000

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Moto GP: Australian GP  (Fox Sports 506) — 81,000
  2. A League:Melbourne v Perth((Fox Sports 505) — 64,000
  3. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri  (Foxtel Movies Premiere) —55,000
  4. GP: Mexican GP Qualifying (Fox Sports 506) — 53,000
  5. Moto GP: Moto 2  (Fox Sports 506) — 48,000